


The Voice (Camren AU)

by Potatehoe



Category: Fifth Harmony (Band)
Genre: F/F, The Voice AU, camren au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-18
Updated: 2017-05-18
Packaged: 2018-11-02 08:02:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 28
Words: 102,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10940343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Potatehoe/pseuds/Potatehoe
Summary: Camila Cabello gets the chance to audition on the NBC hit show, The Voice. Desperate to kick start her music career, she wants to get her best chance of winning. There's just one thing standing in her way. Record label owner, producer, and recording artist, Lauren Jauregui is one of the coaches. Will her crush on Lauren get in the way of her musical dream?





	1. Blind Auditions

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer:  
> Original Storyline is from A Charmed Vampire in Fanfiction.net

Camila Cabello stood backstage waiting to go in front of the judges nervously. Her manager, Dinah, had been able to secure her a spot on the hit TV show, _The Voice_ for Season 9. She knew that this could be her chance to really turn her music career around. Before this, she had been flitting around Miami, working on small sports bar gigs and other minor venues, trying to make a name for herself. But unfortunately for Camila Cabello, it was a hard industry to break into. So when she had been given a chance to get onto _The Voice_ , she jumped to take it.

Weeks of jumping through hoops to even get here was about to pay off. She had been meticulously interviewed by the producers and executives, performed a number of auditions in front of them to make sure she wouldn't humiliate herself on live television and a number of other things, including having to sign a dehumanizing contract that allowed the network to basically do what they wanted with her. But while Camila didn't exactly like what she had to sign onto, she was desperate to kick start her music career. The exposure the show provided, especially if she was good, was too enticing to pass up.

So here she was, ready to go on to turn the judge's chairs. She was aiming to turn all four judges, but that wasn't exactly an easy feat. However, Camila was optimistic that it was a real possibility, if she played her cards right. She had done research on the Season 9 judges, and she likes the prospects, but she wasn't sure still who she wanted as her coach, depending on who wanted her of course.

There was Adam Levine, front man of Maroon 5. She wasn't sure she wanted to go with him. It wasn't because she didn't like the artist, quite the opposite in fact. She adored Maroon 5, but Adam's singing wasn't really her style. However when Camila thought about it more, maybe that would be a good thing for her. She did want to grow as a singer, and a coach who had a different style could help her broaden her horizons.

Then there was Blake Shelton. He was well known for leading his team to victory, winning four of the previous seasons. But Camila didn't just want to win, she wanted to get better, to improve her belt. Blake seemed like a nice guy, but as a country singer, she didn't know if that was where she wanted to go. Although once again, she knew that there was more to Blake than just country. There had to be if he'd won _The Voice_ so many times.

Of course, she could also go with Harry Styles, well known for his endeavors in performing arts in his college years, and he eventually went into the music scene, recording with some world renowned artists. He's got some serious talent, and although it was rumored that he was a strict, fun sucking, serious coach, Camila still wanted to keep an open mind to the possible things that Harry could give her.

And then that left Lauren Jauregui, producer and recording artist. Out of the four judges, Lauren had one of the more colorful careers, not to say that the others didn't. Lauren just did a lot of things. Maybe it was because Camila paid more attention to Lauren's career than she did to the other judges. She knew she was harboring a little crush on the professional artist, but she can't help it. Everything she had read about Lauren made her like the woman a little bit more, even though they had never met. Lauren is blunt, genuine, and professional that lets everyone know that she didn't care of what they thought of her. She is extremely loyal to her fans, continually releasing tracks and ep's that she thought her fans wanted, along with all the other stuff that she recorded and released.

It didn't help that the green eyed recording artist was absolutely gorgeous, at least in Camila's eyes. She had a number of tattoos, if the magazines she was featured in were any indication. Camila would never admit this, but she spent hours looking at images of Lauren Jauregui. She just can't help herself. She dreaded the moment if/when she would need to pick a coach. She didn't know if she could bring herself to pick Lauren. She wanted to, but she couldn't let her feelings get in the way of her career, as much as she wished they could.

"You're on in five Cabello." The stagehand told her. She cringed a little when her last name was pronounced wrong. She nodded, ignoring the urge to correct her and too nervous to actually say anything. The show host Carson Daly had told her earlier to not worry, that most contestants were extremely nervous prior to going on stage, and that once she got there, she would be entirely fine. She would be caught up in the thrill of performing in front of an audience and the judges.

Thoughts started racing through her head. What if she messed up the song? Forgot the words? Tripped on stage or got tangled up in wires. There were a million things that could go wrong. She started to psych herself out before Dinah placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked over at him. Dinah gave her an encouraging smile.

"You'll be alright Chancho. Those judges would be crazy to not want you." Camila nodded.

"But what if-" Dinah cut her off.

"Don't think about the what if's Mila. It'll only freak you out. Just feel the music, like you always do. You're a brilliant performer. Don't let it get to you." Camila smiled and pulled Dinah into a hug.

"Thanks Chee Chee, you always know how to calm me down before a performance." She said sincerely. Her manager chuckled.

"That's my job Chancho. I have to keep your head in the game. Otherwise my job will be ten times harder. Who would want to try to book an artist that freaked out before she even got on stage?" Camila laughed and shook her head.

The stagehand walked up to Camila and Dinah. "You're almost on Ms. Cabello. If you could take your spot?"

Camila nodded, gave Dinah a quick hug and followed the stagehand to the entrance.

The stage was dimmed, as she walked on, the judges chairs tuned away from her. She was still a little nervous looking into the audience, who was watching her expectantly. Quiet filled the room as the band behind her started the intro to her song.

**The day I first met you**   
**You told me you'd never fall in love**   
**But now that I get you**   
**I know fear is what it really was**

Grasping onto the mic stand for the first verse, she sang with emotion and depth. There were a few cheers from the audience as they realized what song she was singing. Give Your Heart a Break had been one of her favorite songs, she loved the emotion and musicality of the song. Unbeknownst to her, Harry Styles and Lauren Jauregui were glancing at each other while their chairs were still turned to the audience; seeming to dare each other to turn their chair first, but neither of them were going to until they heard a little more of the soft, yet emotion-filled voice of whomever was on stage. Pulling the mic out of the stand, Camila continued.

**Now here we are,**   
**So close yet so far.**   
**Haven't I passed the test?**   
**When will you realize,**   
**Baby, I'm not like the rest?**

Turned, facing the audience in his chair, Adam cocked his head to the side as he heard the passion in the singer's voice, and hit his button to finally lay his eyes on the singer. Camila noticed that Adam turned his chair and she wanted to be ecstatic, but she knew that now wasn't the time if she still wanted to turn all the chairs. She still pointed at Adam with a smile, and he nodded right back at Camila.

**Don't wanna break your heart**   
**Wanna give your heart a break**   
**I know you're scared it's wrong**   
**Like you might make a mistake**   
**There's just one life to live**   
**And there's no time to wait, to wait**   
**So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break**   
**Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break**   
**Oh yeah, yeah**

With the second part of the chorus, Camila started to belt out the words, as she walked around the stage, trying to get the audience engaged and interested in her. With the sudden burst in volume without losing quality in her singing, which got even more passionate, both Lauren and Harry immediately hit their buttons to turn around and see this singer. Lauren was immediately taken with the pretty lady singing onstage, although she admired the girl for her singing, not just her looks. Her performance is on point too. During the break in her words, she was jumping and pumping her arm in the air to get the audience excited, and as Lauren glance around, she could see that they were indeed responding to the singer.

**On Sunday you went home alone**   
**There were tears in your eyes**   
**I called your cell phone, my love**   
**But you did not reply**

**The world is ours. If we want it,**   
**We can take it if you just take my hand.**   
**There's no turning back now.**   
**Baby, try to understand**

Camila was brimming over with happiness when both Lauren and Harry turned their chairs, all she needed to do was turn Blake and she would have a four chair performance. Her eyes briefly met Lauren's, who was watching her intently. She would have blushed, but was already so red from the warmth of the stage and lights that her face was as red as it would probably get.

**Don't wanna break your heart**   
**Wanna give your heart a break**   
**I know you're scared it's wrong**   
**Like you might make a mistake**   
**There's just one life to live**   
**And there's no time to wait, to wait**   
**So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break**   
**Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break**   
**There's just so much you can take**   
**Give your heart a break**   
**Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break**   
**Oh yeah, yeah**

Wanting to ramp up her performance, she started to sing with even more passion, managing to hit some notes that she usually didn't try, although she knew she had the ability. She wanted to impress the judges already watching her and manage to get Blake to press his button.

**When your lips are on my lips**   
**Then our hearts beat as one**   
**But you slip out of my fingertips**   
**Every time you run, whoa-oh-whoa-oh-oh**

With a nod of his head, Blake finally pushed his button and turned to see the person behind the voice. The audience went crazy, screaming. Camila could feel the adrenaline pumping as she saw Blake turn and the audience scream for her. Camila always had a very bubbly personality, so she used that to her advantage to get the audience to respond to her performance. She looked as comfortable on stage in front of hundreds of people, not to mention several seasoned recording artists, as a long time performer.

**Don't wanna break your heart**   
**Wanna give your heart a break**   
**I know you're scared it's wrong**   
**Like you might make a mistake**   
**There's just one life to live**   
**And there's no time to wait, to wait**   
**So let me give your heart a break**

With the chorus, Camila started to bring it down a little, as she was closing out her performance. She slowed the tempo slightly, but not too much to lose the hype that was buzzing around her. She had grasped the microphone with one hand and the stand in the other.

**'Cause you've been hurt before**   
**I can see it in your eyes**   
**You try to smile it away, some things you can't disguise**   
**Don't wanna break your heart**   
**Baby, I can ease the ache, the ache**   
**So let me give your heart a break, give your heart a break**   
**Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break**   
**There's just so much you can take**   
**Give your heart a break**   
**Let me give your heart a break, your heart a break**   
**Oh yeah, yeah**

**The day I first met you**   
**You told me you'd never fall in love**

With her final line, she leaned her head to the side, hand grasping the mic, elbow bent outwards, leaning the mic stand over with one of her hands to finish. As the audience and the judges clapped and cheered for Camila, she finally had a chance to take inventory of how she was feeling. She loved being on stage in the middle of it all. She was feeling like she could conquer anything. She got all four judges to turn around and she had shared a look with Lauren. Albeit a short one, and while Camila knew it wasn't anything to really celebrate about, as she shared looks with all the judges, she can't help it but be more excited about that one.

"Wow. You are one powerful little singer." Adam stated. "What's your name?" Camila took a breath, making sure she wasn't going to forget her own name.

"Camila Cabello." Adam nodded.

"Well Camila, I can't speak for my fellow coaches here, but I for one thoroughly enjoyed your performance. You know, when you're sitting on this chair, you never know what to expect. We're going on what we hear in you. And then you hear something great and turn around to see what kind of performer that person is. I mean, you look as comfortable up on stage as any of us." He looked over at his fellow artists, who all nodded in agreement. He looked back up at Camila. "With that being said, I want to work with what you already have and make it better."

Camila nodded at Adam. "I appreciate that Adam." She looked over at Harry Styles, who was next to Adam, to see what he's going to say.

"Adam is right, you've got something special. You've got this incredible voice and amazing stage presence. You were commanding the audience's attention. That can't just be taught. That's something that great performers are born with, and you've got that Camila. I'm going to give you everything in my power to make you a top notch performer and singer." Lauren snorted and Harry glared at her. Camila covered her mouth to keep from giggling. It was no secret that Lauren and Harry were rivals and this was going to be no different. "Oh and you think you can do better Jauregui?" Harry questioned. Lauren raised an eyebrow.

"I don't think it Styles, I know it." Lauren looked up at Camila. "As my fellow artists have pointed out, you have a great voice and an even greater performance ability. You're a rare find Camila." Camila's heart fluttered hearing this from her celebrity crush, but she knew she couldn't let it get to her. "What my fellow artists want to do is take what you have, and make you better. I want to do that, but I also want to help you with your weaknesses. We all have them, and it takes a stronger performer to bring up their weak points instead of just focusing on their strengths." Camila nodded at Lauren. That was really what she wanted, as she had pep talked herself backstage. A coach who could help her broaden her horizons. Then she turned to Blake, and waited for him to say something.

"First, before I try to woo you to my team,' the audience as well as Camila laughed, 'where are you from little lady?"

"Miami, Florida." Adam and Blake groaned, while Lauren stood up to her chair and pointed at her then banging her fist to her chest and pointing again towards Camila, then waving her arms to the audience while yelling 'Miami Pride YALL' then seated herself like nothing happened, the audience laughed and cheered with their antics. Harry just looked at the other judges arms folded, but still fighting off a smile to spread on his face.

"Sorry Blake, won't work for you this time." Adam said.

"I actually moved there when I was 6 but I was born in Cuba." Camila said. It was now Lauren who spoke next "Cuba?" "Yup the one and only." Camila replied

Then Lauren out of nowhere spoke in Spanish.

_"¿Cuántos años tienes?"_

_"Tengo de veinte años."_ she replied with ease.

 _"donde en Cuba?"_ Lauren said.

_"Cojimar."_

Blake groaned. "You just happen to speak Spanish too, didn't you?"

"Guilty as charged." Camila looked a little sheepish.

 _"Cállate!"_ Adam joined the conversation directing the words towards Blake.

"Don't worry Blake you're not the only one here." Harry finally said.

"Well moving on, from the sound of your voice you sound more like a sort of pop/rock gal' am I right?" Camila nodded. She did prefer to sing mainstream songs, although she did have the ability to sing other genres; that was were her heart was. Upbeat, happy songs to match her bubbly personality. "Well, I may be a country singer, but let me just remind you that I've won this show four times." Adam groaned at that.

"No one cares about your record Blake." The audience was amused at the antics between the two men. They always argued over things. Most likely because they had been judging on _The Voice_ since the beginning. And this season with the rivalry between Lauren Jauregui and Harry Styles being added, it was shaping up to be an interesting competition season.

Adam cleared his throat. "Well Camila, who do you pick as your coach?"

Camila started to have a small, internal panic attack. The audience were yelling names at her. She heard a lot of Blake and Adam, but she knew that neither man was who she would go with. If she was honest with her heart, she knew she wanted to go with Lauren. Not to mention it would probably make practice with Lauren kind of awkward if Camila kept having urges to check the green eyed lady out.

But she can't help it and really wanted to go with Lauren. "This is such a hard decision, I love all of you so much." Blake sat back in his chair, while Adam was leaning over the podium, seemingly begging Camila to pick him. Camila glanced over at Harry, who was looking at her intensely, his arms still crossed. And then there was Lauren, looking at her with soft eyes. Camila's heart jumped at the way Lauren was looking at her, but she snapped herself out of it.

"I had this all planned out, what I wanted to do. But now I just..." she stopped hesitantly, as she saw Adam nod his head at her gently, as if to encourage her to finish her thought.

"It's such a hard decision, but I think..." she paused.

"I think I'm going to go with..."  
  
  
  


"Harry Styles."


	2. Day One

With her coach chosen, Camila Cabello now moved onto the Battle Rounds. She would be coached by Harry for the next week or two before she was paired up with another performer from Team Harry. They would choose a song to perform together and battle it out in the performance ring. The coaches would share their thoughts on both artist's singing and then their coach would pick who was to move on to the Knockout Rounds.

The first day after all the Blinds were done, all contestants met at the studio to meet their team, meet others on the other teams and start training with their coaches. Camila almost skipped into the studio. She was still kind of high on the Blind Auditions. She was one of the few artists that managed to have a four chair performance; the only others in the bunch were Ally Brooke and Louis Tomlinson. Ally had chosen Adam as her coach. She was a bit unorthodox of a performer; a powerful voice with a nice touch of ballad on it. Louis on the other hand gone with Harry as his coach. He seemed like a nice enough guy, but he always have this cocky and overly smug look on his face. It kind of rubbed Camila the wrong way, but she tried her best to ignore it. After all, she would eventually be competing against him, if not the Battle Rounds, then most likely in Knockouts. That is, if both of them advanced that far.

The coaches were spending the morning rehearsing for their performance, allowing the contestants to mingle and get to know each other. Even though they were all technically rivals for the prize, it was a tradition on _The Voice_ to spend most of the first day just getting to know other performers and making friendships. Not to mention the networking opportunities when contestants started getting eliminated.

Camila was watching the judges rehearse a mashup that Lauren produced for their coaches' performance that was going to be shot in front of an audience soon. She couldn't help but be entranced by Lauren's singing skills, she knew from her research that Lauren wasn't a singer by trade. She initially just wanted to be a music producer, helping aspiring singers to reach their dreams. But once she relocated her life to California, she had caught the eye of another music producer and recording artist, Normani Kordei Hamilton, and her career shot off. Hamilton had seen something in Lauren, and she helped her break into the business. She was well documented for expressing her gratitude to Normani for giving her a chance, and she was noted to still be good friends with the artist.

**You will remember me, for centuries**

**(Immortals, we could be immortals)**

**You will remember me, remember me, for centuries**

**(Du-du-du-du-du-du-du)**

**Immortals, immortals**

Listening to Lauren and Harry harmonize, made Camila realize how talented both these coaches were and if it wasn't for their bitter rivalry, they could make some amazing tracks together. She felt someone tap her shoulder and she turned to see Louis Tomlinson staring back at her, with a goofy grin on his face.

"Hi, I'm Louis." He held out his hand out for her to shake. She smiled at him and took his hand. He had a firm grip; he nodded at her, silently asking her to introduce herself.

"Hi Louis, I'm Camila." She said as she let go of Louis's hand.

"So... Team Harry, eh?" Camila nodded. She didn't know why she made that exact decision really. It was almost a spur of the moment decision. She had wanted to choose Lauren, but her fear of her feelings getting in the way outweighed picking the green eyed beauty as her coach. Harry was the next best choice for her and so she went with it. Camila is often impulsive, doing things without really thinking about them.

"Yeah, I know he's got kind of a nasty reputation, but I feel with his motivation, he'd probably be the coach to get the most done. He does seem like a control freak though." She glanced over at Harry who is lecturing Lauren on god knows what. Lauren just looked bored, nodding once in a while to give the illusion that she was still listening, rolling her eyes every once in a while.

Louis shrugged. "He's the best though. I mean, he's recorded with legendary artists."

'There's more to being the best besides performing with the best.' Camila thought to herself, but didn't voice her opinion. She could deny that Harry is extremely talented, but she was finding herself slightly biased towards Lauren. "Yeah, he has. I think I'm just looking to make myself better, you know?" Louis nodded.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. We've all got stuff to work on. Some more than the others." Camila noticed Louis glanced over at some contestants, especially Ally and Liam. It offended Camila that he was making presumptions about their fellow artists, especially when he hardly knew them, but again; she kept her mouth shut. She didn't want to risk putting her foot in her mouth. So instead she just shrugged her shoulders.

"Well, best of luck to you." She said happily. And she meant it. As much as she wanted to win, she also wanted all her fellow artists to get as much out of the competition as they could.

"You too, maybe I'll talk to you later Camila."

"I'm sure you will, we're on the same team after all." Louis gave Camila a wink and then scampered off to meet some other contestants.

Camila turned her sights to some of the other contestants. She noticed Ally standing by herself, so she all but bounded over to the powerful singer. She waved and then held out her hand. "Hi, I'm Camila." Ally smiled and shook Camila's hand.

"Hey Camila. Ally. I managed to catch your performance, you are an excellent performer. You had the audience wrapped around your little finger," Camila slightly blushed at the compliment.

"I suppose, but you're really good as well! The audience was fixated on you the entire time." Ally chuckled.

"Yeah, but that's because they were attracted to watching me perform. I think. I'm familiar with my body and know how to use it." Camila laughed.

"Yeah, you sure do." Ally raised an eyebrow and smirked.

"I'm guessing I had you captivated as well. See anything that interested you?" Camila blushed and shook her head.

"Just admiring. I can appreciate a beautiful female when I see one." Ally laughed.

"I like you Cabello." They chatted for a little bit about what their music career had been like. Ally freely admitted that her music experience was about at the same level as Camila's. She mainly booked what she could get, and hadn't yet been discovered. She hoped that _The Voice_ would get her the exposure she needed. Camila could definitely relate to that.

As the two were chatting, Lauren and Harry continued arguing while Blake and Adam just watched them, amused. "When do you think they'll let up" Blake whispered to Adam, who just shrugged his shoulders. "You think we should stop them?" Adam shook his head.

"Let them get it out, it'll be a hellish day if they don't." Blake thought about that and quickly agreed.

"Come on Jauregui, get your head in the game." Lauren rolled her eyes. And Harry huffed. He hated it when people didn't cooperate with her. Lauren Jauregui especially.

"Let it go Styles. We're not expected to be perfect on our first rehearsal. Let's just get back to it." Harry relented and they started again.

**Mummified my teenaged dreams,**

**No there's nothing wrong with me.**

**The kids are all wrong,**

**The story's all off**

**Heavy metal broke my heart.**

Harry begrudgingly had to admit Lauren Jauregui had a stellar voice, even if she was a grade A pain in the ass. She was a strong singer; if only she cared more about being perfect.

**Come on, come on and let me in**

**The bruises on your thighs like my fingerprints**

**And this is supposed to match**

**The darkness that you felt**

**I never meant for you to fix yourself**

This particular part was Adam's and although he performed well, Lauren couldn't help but wonder why Styles only ever nitpicked on her. He never did it to Blake or Adam.

**Ooooooooh**

**I am the sand in the bottom half of the hourglass (glass, glass)**

**Ooooooooh,**

**I try to picture me without you but I can't**

Blake had a different style in his voice than the three coaches, but it synced perfectly with them. He had a more raspy, and for lack of a better word, _country,_ voice. While Lauren and Adam had a more alternative rock-ish feel, and Harry was more pop-rock. But all four coaches knew how to make their voices work together, and for all the contestants that were watching them rehearse; they could only hope that they would reach that level someday.

**'Cause we could be immortals, we could be immortals**

**You will remember me**

**Remember me for centuries**

**(Immortals, we could be immortals)**

**You will remember,**

**Remember me, for centuries**

Hearing the familiar voice of the judges all harmonizing drew Camila's attention over to them again. Again her eyes were drawn to Lauren who was easily melding her voice into the other judges to create the dynamic that they did. It was mesmerizing, to watch these famous recording artists in their element all together, even with the rivalry between Lauren and Harry, they managed to bring it together to deliver a spectacular performance anyways.

That afternoon was mostly spent with coaches, going over how the next couple of weeks would run and what each singer was going to be working on. Harry brought his team all together before meeting with them individually. All the members of Harry's team, including Louis and Camila, gathered around to hear what Harry was going to say.

"Hey guys and girls, as you know, I'm probably going to be your coach for the rest of your stay here on _The Voice_. Now I'm sure all of you have questions, but rest assured I'm going to give you my all to get you into the finals. I have faith in all of your singing abilities." Camila hated the diplomatic bullshit of the behind the scenes of reality TV. Everyone knew that the coaches were responsible for the Battle Rounds, and who advanced. He may have faith in everyone, but ultimately he would have faith in one person over the other, whoever gave him the chance to one up Lauren Jauregui. But Camila would be damned if she didn't give it her best to try to be that person. Even though the thought of being used as a... tool in the rivalry between Harry and Lauren wasn't too tasteful for Camila.

"For the rest of the day you're free to do what you want around the studio while I spend time with each of the contestants. When I'm ready to meet with you, I'll come find you." His team collectively nodded in understanding. He looked at his roster. "Camila Cabello? You're up first." Camila nervously swallowed, preparing herself. Louis gave her a gentle nudge towards Harry. She approached Harry as the rest of the team went their own ways, some mingling with other team members, and others going off on their own to singles coaching studios to work on their singing.

-

For the next few days Harry slowly made his way around his team, working with each of them individually on certain things that they either needed to improve or things that he thought would help carry them to finals.

Camila actually didn't see much of Harry after their initial meeting. Harry was true to his word and wanted to help her improve her already stellar performance skills, as with shows like _The Voice_ , performance was everything. You could have the most beautiful voice in the world, and if you were a boring performer, no one would spare you a second glance. Harry's confidence in Camila's abilities boosted her confidence in herself tenfold. She used to have problem with her confidence but when she decided to not care about what other people said to her, she had never been a self-conscious person anymore. She had an overly happy personality and she knew that her sense of personal boundaries was a little warped, but she tried to resist the urge to be a creep as much as possible. Things that she found completely normal, others found weird about her. But even so, the confidence of a famous recording artist does wonders for your self-esteem.

It was different with Harry. The few times they had met, Harry was completely open and willing to work with Camila to help strengthen her skill set. She understood that Harry had multiple other contestants, not to mention rehearsals with the other coaches and his own recording career on top of working with her. She didn't really fault Harry for not working with her twenty four, seven.

The few times Camila did see Harry outside their coaching sessions, Camila usually was in a solo studio working on her range. She often saw Harry with Louis, it seemed to Camila that Harry spent a lot of time with Louis, but she was hardly in a place to judge that. It was probably just a coincidence that she saw Harry with her co-contestant all the time. She just had to trust that Harry knows what he is doing. She genuinely liked her coach. He wasn't as bad as everyone said. Yeah, he did like being in control and having things perfect, but at the same time, he is a kind person and really did care.

Today was no different. Camila decided to work in one of the solo studios, practicing hitting the high and low notes, and being able to hold them longer.

 **So I cross my heart and I hope to die**  
**That I'll only stay with you one more night**  
**And I know I said it a million times**  
**But I'll only stay with you one more night**

Lauren heard a familiar voice when she was walking past one of the solo studios on set. She couldn't help but smile, listening to Camila's powerful singing voice. The girl is really talented, made her wish that Camila had picked her as a coach, and not Styles. But what's done was done. That, however, didn't stop her from silently opening the door, finding Camila's back facing her. She leaned up against the door frame and listened to Camila experiment with her high and low notes on the Maroon 5 song.

 **Try to tell you "no" but my body keeps on telling you "yes".**  
**Try to tell you "stop", but your lipstick got me so out of breath.**  
**I'll be waking up in the morning, probably hating myself.**  
**And I'll be waking up, feeling satisfied but guilty as hell.**

"You know, you should stop looking up when you try to hit the high notes. The notes aren't actually getting physically any higher. They originate from the same place as all your other notes." Camila whirled around at the familiar voice to see Lauren up against the door-frame, smiling at her. She blushed when she realized that Lauren had been listening to her singing.

"How long have you been standing there?" Lauren shrugged.

"Not too long, just happened to hear that powerful little voice of yours and wanted to check it out for myself." Camila blushed a little darker shade of red. The idea that Lauren Jauregui listening to her sing still gave her butterflies. Obviously she had sung in front of her at Blinds, but at the time, Camila was focusing on more than just Lauren, although the she was at the forefront of her mind.

"Oh, well thanks for the tip." Lauren nodded.

"No problem. Like I said at Blinds, you've got some serious talent, but it's important that you also focus on the weaknesses, even if they are a little nit picky. Oh God, listen to me, I'm turning into Styles, nitpicking at contestants. Please feel free to stop me anytime." Camila giggled.

"It's alright. I appreciate it." Lauren smiled. She wanted to hear more of Camila's voice if she was completely honest with herself. She couldn't really fathom why, Harry is Camila's mentor. If anything, helping Camila is putting Lauren herself at a disadvantage against Styles, but she liked Camila's genuine interest in improving her singing skills and not just winning, so she decided to anyways.

"Do you mind letting me listen to you sing some more? I can try to give you a couple more pointers since Styles seems to be absent at the moment." Camila's eyeballs bulged a bit. Her celebrity crush wanted to help her? She slowly nodded.

"What do you want to hear?" Lauren shrugged and stepped into the small studio. She pulled up a stool next to Camila.

"It's up to you, anything you want to sing."

To say she was nervous was an understatement. Camila's nerves were shooting up, her pulse going eradicate by the second. She had never minded personal boundaries herself, but having Lauren so close to her was a little unnerving. It made it a little difficult to think. But a song pop into her mind.

 **What would I do without your smart mouth?**  
**Drawing me in, and you kicking me out**  
**You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down**  
**What's going on in that beautiful mind**  
**I'm on your magical mystery ride**  
**And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright**

Lauren was a little surprised at Camila's song choice. From what she gathered of the perky lady, she preferred to stick with upbeat, pop songs. So the choice of this particular John Legend song took her a little by surprise. However, Camila's spin on his song definitely fit her and Lauren didn't know why Camila didn't perform more songs like this, granted she had only heard Camila actually sing twice. So maybe Lauren was getting ahead of herself. She hardly knew anything about Camila.

 **My head's under water**  
**But I'm breathing fine**  
**You're crazy and I'm out of my mind**

 **'Cause all of me**  
**Loves all of you**  
**Love your curves and all your edges**  
**All your perfect imperfections**

 **Give your all to me**  
**I'll give my all to you**  
**You're my end and my beginning**  
**Even when I lose I'm winning**  
**'Cause I give you all of me**  
**And you give me all of you, oh**

Camila finished the first verse and chorus of the song. She slightly surprised herself with the choice, but it was kind of how she was feeling and it was her way of letting her emotions out without really saying anything. Camila always sang better when she was truly feeling the emotions behind the song.

"Styles was right to pick you Camila. You've got something special in your voice. You are really passionate and convicted to your music. It's sometimes hard to believe you're not a professional recording artist, at least to me."

Camila furiously blushed and started playing with her thumb ring, and if Lauren noticed, she was tactful enough to not mention it. But Camila was ecstatic that Lauren thought that about her. "That's why I'm here, isn't it?" Camila blurted out, before realizing what she said. Lauren just laughed.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. But anyways, I need to get back to coaching. A tip though Camila? Practice a wide variety of genres, tempos, and moods of songs. It's great to have a go to song style, but widening your scope to have at least the ability to sing a large variety of styles will make you a better singer overall. The things you learn from a John Legend song, you can incorporate into any song when you get familiar enough with the styles." Camila nodded.

"Thanks for the advice Lauren." Lauren smiled and nodded as she stood up and left the small studio. As Lauren exited, Harry turned up. He glared briefly at Lauren before knocking on the studio door. Camila turned again to see Harry standing there.

"What was Jauregui doing here?" Camila shrugged.

"Heard me singing and gave me a few pointers." Harry furrowed his brow but didn't say anything.

"Ah. Okay, well I came looking for you. Battle rounds start next week, and you're going to need to prepare." Camila knew about the Battle Rounds. She was going to be paired up with someone from Harry's team. They'd need to pick a song to perform together and the coaches would decide who moved on the Knockout Rounds.

"Who am I paired with?" Camila asked nervously. There were some strong singers on Harry's team. Whoever she was paired with was going to make her work for it.

"We've decided to pair you with Louis Tomlinson."


	3. Battle Round

The following day after Harry had told Camila she was going to be battling Louis, she sought out the other singer. She found him practicing alone when she knocked on the door to the studio he was singing in. He turned around to see Camila and smiled widely at her.

"So, you and me huh?" Camila nodded.

"I guess so. How has your training been going?"

"It's been going pretty great. Harry is a really great coach. He's been helping me with my style and performance. Although I'd assume you don't have much to work on with performance. You're already an amazing musician."

"I suppose so. I've been mainly working on my singing to be honest. You know; range, my high notes, harmonizing, that kind of thing." Louis nodded. 

"I know what you mean."

"So.. You have an idea of what song you want to do for the battle?" Louis pulled a crumpled up piece of paper out of his back pocket.

"I thought about some possibilities, but since we're both going to be performing, we obviously need to agree on what to sing." He held the paper out to Camila. She took it from him and skimmed the list. She saw names like Jason Derulo, Imagine Dragons and P!nk on the list but one song in particular stood out to her.

She pointed to it and showed him. "How about this one?" Louis nodded in agreement.

"I'm down for that. You want to get started arranging and practicing this now? Our battle is coming up pretty soon."  
  
"Yeah, the more time we get into preparing, the better we'll sound." Louis smirked.

"Yeah, but even if we're spending more time together, don't expect me to take it easy on you Camila." She faked looking offended.

"I'm ashamed you'd even think that I'd want you to. Or that you'd need to Tomlinson." She batted his arm and the two laughed. But amongst the bantering between the two, they both knew that someone was probably going home soon. 

_

The next week Louis and Camila spent most of their studio time together, preparing for the Battle Rounds. Camila had to admit that she was a little nervous to go up against Louis. He is a great singer, and from she learned from her rehearsals with him, Harry spent a lot more time coaching him than she did with Camila.

She had spent some time with her coach outside her practices with Louis. Harry was starting to work with her on harmonizing perfectly with other people. She and Harry had spent a few hours making sure that Camila could harmonize with both male and female voices, to meld their voices together like a two puzzle pieces that just fit together.

Harry had watched Camila and Louis practice for their battle, and he was proud of both performers. Although in moments he had alone, Harry sometimes wondered why he had signed onto The Voice. He knew that Jauregui was going to be the other new coach and that his rivalry with Lauren was going to put stress between them. But he had decided to do it anyways. And he still had to reluctantly admit that Lauren was a very talented and multifaceted performer. She just prioritized different things than Harry and it made them go head to head quite often.

He actually had people ask him what was going on between him and Lauren. A lot of people thought that the two hated each other. That wasn't quite the case. Harry didn't hate Lauren, he didn't like her sure, but hate wasn't the right word. What a lot of people didn't know was that him and Lauren had rubbed shoulders in college. They butted heads even then, and it translated into their post college lives. If Harry was honest with himself, he was irritated that Lauren had been picked up by Normani fairly early into her career and had an easy way into the music world, when the curly haired guy had put his blood, sweat and tears into it. But he'd never admit that to anyone.

**I know that we are upside down**   
**So hold your tongue and hear me out**   
**I know that we were made to break**   
**So what? I don't mind**

Harmonizing with Harry wasn't the easiest thing she had ever done, but she had done what she thought was a pretty damn good job. Harry's voice was slightly lower than hers, but their voices did compliment each other pretty well.

 **You kill the lights, I'll draw the blinds**  
 **Don't dull the sparkle in your eyes**  
 **I know that we were made to break**  
 **So what? I don't mind**  
  
Harry was always continually being impressed with Camila's singing ability. They had spent some time on her deliverance on her performances, but they mainly spent time on the her singing, since that's where she needed the most work. And even then, Harry didn't have as much to work on with Camila as she did with some of her other team members. Harry often wondered to herself why no one had noticed Camila before.

**Are you gonna stay the night?**   
**Are you gonna stay the night?**   
**Oh oh oh, are you gonna stay the night?**   
**Are you gonna stay the night?**   
**Doesn't mean we're bound for life**   
**So oh oh oh, are you gonna stay the night?**

"That was a good go Camila. You ready to take a break before your rehearsal with Louis?" Camila nodded. She and Harry had been working on her low pitch harmonizing. It was hard work, but she was getting the hang of it.

"You mind if I ask you a question?" Camila nodded. "What made you want to get into music? I mean, you're a great singer, but why, what made you do it?" Camila was surprised by the question. She had never really put much thought into it.

"I don't really know. I never really thought about it I guess. Music has always been a big part of my life. It helped me through some difficult times, and I guess I always wanted to give back to the world that gave me so much." Harry nodded in acknowledgement.

"Well, I believe in you Camila. You're going to bring something special to the music world. I can just tell." Camila grinned at her coach.

"Thanks Harry, that means a lot, coming from you." Harry placed a hand on Camila's shoulder.

"I mean it, you're going to be the next big thing. Now, I believe you've got a song to work on." Camila nodded and scampered off to find Louis.  
  
_

It was the night of the Battle Rounds and Camila was fidgeting around with the hem of her shirt while she was waiting for her and Louis's turn. Her battle partner walked over to her.

"Calm down Mila, are you always this fidgety before performing?" Camila quickly nodded. "It's hard to believe to be honest. You're a strong performer and your voice has gotten better since we started. You've got nothing to worry about, if anything, you're giving me a run for my money." He chuckled.

"I always get psyched out before shows I guess, too much nervous energy." Louis wrapped an arm around Camila's shoulder.  
  
"You'll be great, you'll see." The stagehand wandered over to them and told them they were almost up. Louis motioned for Camila to go, following right behind her. Camila could hear Carson Daly introducing them.

"Up next from Team Harry is... Camila Cabello and Louis Tomlinson!" Camila walked out, Louis close on her heels, both smiling and waving at the audience. Stepping into the stage ring, Louis on the left and Camila on the right, Carson introduced their song. "Performing _Style_ by Taylor Swift, this Round 2 battle starts right now!" The audience cheered, and Camila could hear a few people shout out "Go Camila," or "Go Louis."

The lights dimmed and focused on the stage as their music came on.

**Midnight, you come and pick me up**   
**No headlights**   
**Long drive, could end in burning flames or** **paradise**   
**Fade into view, it's been awhile since I have even heard from you**   
**I should just tell you to leave cause I**   
**Know exactly where it leads but I**   
**Watch us go round and round each time**

Louis took up the first verse. As he sang, Camila simply stood to the side. Camila and Louis had both decided that they wanted to mix up the song a little bit. While they weren't going to remix it or anything, they both decided that they wanted to slow it down a little and go for a little more like an acoustic feel. So as Louis stood mic in hand, the audience started waving their arms back and forth at a slowed down pace. He eventually pointed at Camila, as the audience turned their attention towards Camila. All four judges were watching intently at the battle.

**You got that James Dean daydream look in** **your eye**   
**And I got that red lip classic thing that you like**   
**And when we go crashing down, we come back every time.**   
**Cause we never go out of style (style)**   
**We never go out of style (style)**

When Louis had handed her his list of possible song choices, she didn't really know why this one stuck out to her. It might have been because she liked the message in the song, complicated relationships and all that. But on the other hand, she might have picked it just because she loved Taylor Swift. Whatever the reason, she and Louis had spent the last couple weeks working on putting their own spin on the song, while still keeping that same passion in the song that would make even Taylor Swift proud.

 **You got that long hair, slicked back, white t- shirt.**  
 **And I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt,**  
 **And when we go crashing down. we come back every time.**  
 **Cause we never go out of style (style)**  
 **We never go out of style (style)**  
  
Louis took over the second part of the chorus, while Camila added her own harmonization to it. She was glad that Harry had been working on her with harmonization. She hadn't previously had too much experience with it, but even listening to herself sing with Louis, she had to admit they sounded good together. Their performance together was going pretty well too. They had learned to play off of each other on stage, and so they were interacting, both trying to make the audience hyped for their performance.

**So it goes**   
**He can't keep his wild eyes on the road**   
**Takes me home**   
**Lights are off, he's taking off his coat.**   
**I say I heard that you been out and about with some other girl**   
**Some other girl**   
**He says, what you've heard it's true but I**   
**Can't stop thinking about you and I**   
**I said I've been there too a few times**

Camila's softer and higher voice was a change from Louis's deeper one for the second verse. While the male was a soprano, he was still obviously different than Camila's singing. The judges were listening and observing the pair. Harry was closely watching both of them, even though his mind was mostly made up about who he was going to pick, he still wanted to give both competitors a fair chance to change his mind. Lauren on the other hand, she was watching Camila's performance closely. Ever since their little impromptu meeting a few weeks ago, she had been interested to see how her singing had grown. She had to say that she was impressed. She had managed to meld her voice right into Louis's voice while they were harmonizing. And now that she was singing alone, she could admire her voice; soft yet powerful.

**Cause you got that James Dean daydream** **look in your eye**   
**And I got that red lip classic thing that you like**   
**(And when we come crashing down, we come back every time)**   
**Cause we never go out of style**   
**Out of style**

This time Louis took the lead in the first part of the chorus. Now that they were further into the song, Camila was adding her harmonization even more into the song, and Louis would be doing so as well. Harry was proud of both singers, they both took to singing and performing like naturals. It really did pain Harry to have to knock one of them out, but eventually he had to pick, he knew who he was going to pick; who his logical choice was.  
  
 **You got that long hair, slicked back, white t- shirt.**  
 **And I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt,**  
 **And when we go crashing down, we come back every time.**  
 **Cause we never go out of style**  
 **We never go out of style.**  
  
Camila felt confident about her performance as the song wound to a close. The audience was silent, but waving their arms back and forth to the song as Louis and Camila sang. A few even had their cell phones out, their screens letting off a little light. Camila had always been one to pick upbeat, happy songs that got the audience pumped up. Singing a slower rendition of the Taylor Swift song was a change for her, but looking out into the audience, she really liked what she saw. This was why she loved performing and singing; to look at her audience and see them swaying and dancing to the music she was producing.

**Take me home**   
**Just take me home**   
**Just take me home**

Both Louis and Camila added their voices to this, and all four judges took notice of how well both musicians combined their voices to create a unique sound that all four of them loved to hear. It was the sound of two singers, equally having passion for their craft and truly enjoying their time on stage.

 **You got that James Dean daydream look in** **your eye**  
 **And I got that red lip classic thing that you like**  
 **And when we go crashing down, we come back every time.**  
 **Cause we never go out of style**  
 **We never go out of style**  
  
This last chorus, both performers knew this was their last chance to prove that they deserved to stay. They both put all their passion and emotion into their singing. Neither one of them wanted to be the one sent home that night.

As their song ended, the audience burst into cheers and all four of the judges clapped along with them. "That was a round two battle, between Camila and Louis, representing Team Harry!" Carson Daly announced as Camila and Louis took a breath. They both stood on stage, apprehensively waiting for the judges to say something.

"Wow Harry, that was great. I'm going to give you a minute to take stock and see if your fellow judges can help you out." Harry nodded. "Adam, what did you think?"  
  
"I knew from the beginning that both of you are extremely talented and strong singers. You two both know how to deliver a show stopping performance." He slightly turned to Louis. "You, my man, have a very soulful voice, you've got the emotion to back that up." Then he focused his attention on Camila. "While this little ball of fire over here has one of the strongest female voices I've ever heard. What you have is special, you know your harmonization and how to make your voice fit in wherever it can. It   
takes some of us years to get that down. Personally I'd probably go with Camila." Camila's fans in the audience hooted and cheered for her. Camila smiled appreciatively at Adam.  
  
"Thank you so much Adam." He nodded with an encouraging smile.

"Thank you Adam. Blake, your thoughts?" Carson prompted.  
  
"I definitely agree with Adam that Camila, you have this talent for harmonizing." Camila blushed. She had been working so hard on that particular skill, and to have two coaches compliment her on something that she once struggled with, was very flattering. "You're a very emotional and passionate singer, you force your listeners to notice you. And Louis, you have this ability to continually play off of others, even while they are performing. You look comfortable up on stage, like you were born to be there. Both of you had an amazing night tonight, and I don't think anyone would contest that." The crowd cheered for both artists as Blake finished his comments.

"Lauren." Carson prompted as she was the last coach to say something. Camila unconsciously took a deep breath as Lauren spoke. She really wanted the coach to love her performance.  
  
"I think both of you have something really special about you, both of you have skills that can't be taught. You seem to be natural performers; from day one both of you had this natural ability to wrap the audience around your finger. So I really think it all comes down to your singing. Louis, I can definitely tell you've been working on your range, it's great to hear your voice really hit those difficult notes." Louis nodded. "And Camila, you've still got all this raw emotion in your voice that you've always had; from the first time I heard you sing. It's nice to hear that you haven't lost that, while just continually striving to get better."

"Alright, thank you Lauren. Harry, the final decision is yours." The audience clapped while everyone in the studio waiting in anticipation on what the he was going to say.

"First off, I just want both of you to know that I'm extremely proud of both of you. After working with both of you guys, I know how much time and effort you've put in to make your voices better. Camila, we've been working on harmonization a lot recently, and I'm really glad to hear your voice truly fit with Louis's. It seemed natural to me for your voice to be present. Louis, we've been working with expanding your range, and that really showed tonight with your singing. It's really hard for me to make this decision between you two. You're both stellar artists." Camila and Louis glanced at each other, then looked back at Harry.

Harry sat in contemplation for a moment. He was really tempted to change his mind on who he was going to keep, but his pragmatic mind was still telling him that his original choice was the right one. Camila and Louis both heard their names being called out from the audience, trying to influence Harry. But they both knew that Harry wouldn't be swayed by anyone.

"The winner of this battle is.." Camila and Louis both held their breaths. 

"Louis."

Louis let out a little cheer of victory, before turning to Camila and pulling her into a giant hug. She wasn't entirely shocked Harry chose Louis, but it didn't make the loss sting any less. She embraced Louis, still dejected, however before she had a chance to truly process, she heard a voice speak up.

"If Styles is letting her go, I'm stealing her."

Camila's head shot up. Lauren Jauregui was smiling, with a gleam in her eyes. The crowd went wild at the statement.

"Oh, it looks like we've got a steal on our hands!" Carson announced. Camila's eyes widened. She hadn't expected anyone to want to steal her, never mind Lauren. It didn't escape her notice that Harry stiffened slightly, and clenched his fists as Lauren smirked at him. The rivalry between the two performers was strong.  
  
"Well, with that ladies and gentlemen, it looks like both Camila and Louis will be moving on to the next round!" The audience cheered loudly as both performers walked towards their coaches. Camila however wasn't listening as her eyes were fixed on Lauren, butterflies fluttering around in her stomach as those emerald green eyes met hers. The said coach got up to greet her newest contestant.

"Welcome to Team Lauren." She said with a smile.


	4. Camila's New Coach

Camila was backstage, mind still reeling about what happened a few minutes ago. Lauren Jauregui stole her; Camila Cabello. She's not really sure how to feel about it. On one hand she was ecstatic that she was going to be moving into the next round, and she was elated that Lauren was the one to steal her. But her initial worries about her feelings were still rearing around. She was worried that she would let her crush on Lauren slip and it would make things awkward between them. For god's sake, this is Lauren Jauregui, she's an international music sensation. She didn't even know if Lauren was interested in women. Lauren kept her private life, just that; private. There wasn't much information on her beyond her musical career.

But now the green eyed lady is her coach. And she would probably be spending at least a little time with the other woman. Camila couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by her, which didn't really make sense because Harry Styles was much scarier than Lauren Jauregui. But she couldn't help her feelings. She was frightened that her feelings would get in the way. At best she was hoping that she might become friends with Lauren, but even that was probably a stretch. She probably had more important things to do with her time than hang out with her. But Camila still hoped.

During a break, Lauren wandered over to Camila and sat down next to her. "hey Camila, how are you holding up?" Camila looked over at Lauren with a wide smile. Without really thinking about it, she threw her arms around Lauren and hugged her tightly. Lauren hesitantly wrapped her arms around the brown-eyed singer, surprised with the action but nonetheless welcome with it. But when breathing became a problem she tried to wriggle out of her grasp. "Air, I need air." Camila immediately let go and blushed furiously. She bit her lip, embarrassed that she, once again, forgot about personal boundaries. Lauren noticed her embarrassment and laughed.

"It's okay Camila, I was just unprepared for that." Lauren smiled reassuringly at Camila.

"Sorry, I just.. Thank you." Lauren wrapped an arm around Camila's shoulders.

"Hey, don't worry. Styles was stupid for letting you go. Anyone with ears can hear that you've got something special, something that can't be replicated. No matter how much Mr. Perfect tries to, Louis won't ever match you." Camila blushed at the compliment. She still wasn't used to people praising her singing, and to have both Lauren and Harry have so much faith in her was reassuring. And a little scary. She didn't want to let either of them down.

"You won't regret saving me Lauren." Camila said confidently. Lauren laughed. "I'm sure I won't. I saved you because I know what you're capable of. You deserve the chance to show it to the world. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some more contestants to judge." Lauren winked, stood up and walked off. As Lauren left, Louis took her spot.

"Lucky break eh?" Camila nodded.

"Yeah, super lucky." Louis grinned.

"I guess that means you and I will be seeing each other again on stage."

"I guess so. But don't think that means you'll beat me as easily." Louis bumped her shoulder.

"I wouldn't dream of it."

-

Moving on to the next round was almost surreal to Camila. She knew she came close to being eliminated by Harry, and she resolved to never let that happen again. She was going to prove to everyone that she deserved to stay on _The Voice_.

The day after Battle Rounds, a bunch of contestants congratulated her on her save. Some believed that she really did deserve to stay. But others just attributed her save to the fact that it was Harry that dropped her and Lauren just loved to push his buttons. But in the back of Camila's mind, she knew that wasn't the case. She was the only one Lauren had saved from elimination, and she was not the only one from Harry's team eliminated that night.

Lauren was currently busy with another contestant, so Camila made her way in a studio, practicing. She was taking Lauren's advice and working on different songs, to widen her exposure.

**Look at this photograph,**   
**Every time I do it makes me laugh.**   
**How did our eyes get so red,**   
**And what the hell is on Joey's head?**

Camila was infamous for singing the bubblegum pop music, but listening to herself sing the Nickelback song, she was considering switching up her tune a little. After playing with her sound, she found that she had a voice for some more edgy music.

**And this is where I grew up,**   
**I think the present owner fixed it up.**   
**I never knew we'd ever went without,**   
**The second floor is hard for sneaking out.**

Camila was hoping that Lauren was going to have some more pointers for her. In fact, despite her crush and fear of her feelings, she was looking forward to spending some one on one time with the brunette.

**And this is where I went to school,**   
**Most of the time had better things to do.**   
**Criminal record says -**

A knock on the door frame of her studio stopped Camila immediately as she turned around to see who it was. To her surprise and delight, it was the very person she had just been thinking about.

"I see you're taking my advice." Camila blushed lightly.

"Yeah, you were right, my sound has gotten a lot more rounded since I started singing different styles. It's really helpful." Lauren nodded.

"Yeah, limiting your music to one style can be good if you're solely good at that one thing. But you're better than that. You easily have the potential to be good at most genres."

"Except rap." Camila muttered under her breath. She didn't think Lauren had caught that, but she did, if that laugh was any indication.

"Well, rap isn't the easiest for people to pick up, but there are some people who just take to it. I'm assuming you're just not one of them." Camila nodded.

"Nope, never been too good at rap. Which is a shame, because I've always loved Stan by Eminem, it's one of my favorites. Lauren chuckled, as she pulled up a stool next to Camila.

"I didn't peg you as a girl whose favorite song would be that one." Camila just shrugged.

"I like the beat, and most of all the message it contains." Lauren smiled.

"Fair enough. Say, you ready for getting coached by yours truly?" Camila nodded with enthusiasm. Lauren stood up and offered Camila her hand. She grabbed it, and with surprising strength, Lauren pulled her to her feet. As the coach let go, Camila immediately missed the feeling of Lauren's hand in hers, but she shook the thought out of her head quickly. Now wasn't the time for her to be getting sentimental.

She followed Lauren to one of the coaching studios, not much unlike the one that she spent time with Harry in. Gesturing for her to sit, Camila planted her butt on one of the chairs, while Lauren sat opposite her, backwards in the chair, arms folded, resting on the back on the chair. She was intently looking at Camila.

"So, before you were so gloriously given the boot off Styles's team, what were you two   
working on?"

"Mostly harmonizing. He didn't see much need to work on performance stuff because he thought I was good with that. We were mostly working on my singing. He wanted me to be able to harmonize perfectly with anyone." Lauren smirked and shook her head.

"Typical Styles, working skills to death while you've still got other things to work on. He has a knack for getting so tunnel visioned, he doesn't look at a performer, or group as it may be, as a whole and tends to focus on perfecting one skill before moving on to the next." Camila could see why that was true. From what she gathered from a few other Team Harry members, he was working on one skill with everyone and drilling it into their head. Very few had worked on more than one thing with him.

"Well, I'm not a perfectionist like him, so we're going to be working on a multitude of different things, to expand your already talented self." Camila turned a light shade of pink. She still couldn't get used to Lauren Jauregui, her celebrity crush of all people, throwing compliments around like they were nothing. "Styles was right about one thing though, you are a stellar performer. Although that's not to say you don't have anything to work on." Camila nodded, she knew that she wasn't perfect, far from it in fact.

"Of course, no one is perfect at anything, regardless of what Harry says." Lauren smirked.

"Don't let him hear you say that, you don't want to bring down the wrath of Styles on you. Camila laughed. "You laugh, but seriously, it's torture."

"Is it?" Lauren nodded.

"Yup. Don't know how much you know about me and Styles, but we knew each other in college, and well.. Let's just say I got real up close and personal with his wrath." Camila giggled as Lauren frowned. "Oh I see how it is, you're laughing at my pain." Camila tried to keep a straight face, but Lauren's pout was so adorable.

"I can't help it, when you look so adorable, it's hard not to laugh." Lauren just shook her head.

"I'm not adorable, I'm bad ass!" She insisted. That only made Camila laugh harder, and eventually Lauren joined in. "Honestly, I don't even know why I'm laughing." Camila smiled.

"My laugh is contagious." She said smugly. It was always a talent of her, cheering people up and making them happy. It's what she enjoyed, which is one of the reasons she was in the music business. Music often made people happy, or it was an outlet for people. Music was an escape, there was always a song for everything.

"I suppose you're right, but all this laughing aside, I think it's time to get to work." Camila eagerly nodded. "So, what do you feel like you need the most work on?" Camila furrowed her brow. She didn't really know. Already Camila could tell that Lauren had a different coaching style than Harry from that statement alone. Harry just told her what she needed to work on, and they worked that skill into the ground. Lauren was actually asking her opinion on what she needed.

"I don't really know." Camila shrugged. "I guess I've been working so much on expanding my style, I haven't really thought about what skills I need to work on." Lauren nodded, she could tell that the contestant had taken her advice the other week to heart. She was excited by the fact that Camila had listened to her, and she could tell that Camila had put most of her free time into doing just that.

"Well, while your harmonizing is an important skill, and you should upkeep that skill, you're not going to need it until the end of the show, so I think we can put that away for now" Camila sighed in relief. She enjoyed working on that, but after working it into the ground with Harry, she was ready to do something new. "I'm thinking, taking some time to work on your performance skills?" Camila nodded, she is looking forward to learning from Lauren, and at this point she probably would have loved to work on anything with her.

Lauren got up from her chair, and motioned for Camila to stand up as well. The pair walked over to an open spot in the large studio. "I know you're good at getting an audience interested, but I notice that you do a lot of the same things. Like your singing, it's okay to have a signature go to, but mixing it up will make your performance unpredictable, and entice the audience even more. Especially on a show like this, you want to have a memorable performance, not just one of the crowd; force them to remember you." Camila nodded in acknowledgement. She always used her bubbly and happy personality to hype up the audience, but if she was going to expand her singing style, her performance would have to grow with it.

"In your battle with Louis, you looked semi- comfortable, but nothing like your audition."

"Yeah, the dynamics of performing with another person are different, playing off each other, he was a lot better than I was with that." Lauren nodded.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean you can't get better at that. here, try it again, but with me."

**I'm out of touch, I'm out of love**   
**I'll pick you up when you're getting down**   
**And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now**   
**I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind**   
**I'll do it all for you in time**   
**And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now, now**

Lauren, out of the blue, just started singing Lego house, looking at Camila expectantly. Although Lauren was also egging Camila on to sing with her and perform with her. Lauren swayed to her own voice, while throwing Camila looks that made her melt. She briefly observed Lauren before joining in on the second verse, facing Lauren, swaying on her voice.

**I'm gonna paint you by numbers and colour you in**   
**If things go right we can frame it and put you on a wall**   
**And it's so hard to say it but I've been here before**   
**Now I'll surrender up my heart and swap it for yours**

Pushing Camila to go further, Lauren stopped swaying, but waved her hand to tell Camila to continue. Camila grinned mischievously before grabbing Lauren's hand, pulling her closer. Lauren raised an eyebrow, almost teasing Camila to continue. Camila, realizing what she had just done, gulped nervously, but she was committed now. She figured she might as well enjoy it.

**I'm out of touch, I'm out of love**   
**I'll pick you up when you're getting down**   
**And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now**   
**I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind**   
**I'll do it all for you in time**   
**And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now**

Only a couple of inches away from Lauren, Camila picked up her dance again, swaying to her own voice, hand still intertwined with Lauren's hand. Lauren flushed a very light shade of red when she noticed that Camila hadn't let go of her hand, but the coach didn't care. Being this close to Camila, watching her sway to her own voice, almost personally for her, was a sight that Lauren would love to see more of. The contestant had an elegance and grace about her that few could match. If this is what Lauren was going to be working with for the rest of the show, she was glad that she stole the talented caramel eyed singer.

**Don't hold me down, I think the braces are breaking and it's more than I can take**   
**And it's dark in a cold December, but I've got you to keep me warm**   
**If you're broken I will mend ya and keep you sheltered from the storm that's raging on, now**

As Lauren's alto voice joined Camila's soprano, Camila could hear how well their voices fit together, ever better than hers and Harry's voices. It was certainly something, to hear the almost perfect harmony of the two. Camila immediately fell in love with the sound, and unbeknownst to her, Lauren wasn't too far behind. The coach had raised her free hand that wasn't entwined with Camila's, above her head, waving it around, a wide smile across her face.

**I'm out of touch, I'm out of love**   
**I'll pick you up when you're getting down**   
**And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now**   
**I'm out of sight, I'm out of mind,**   
**I'll do it all for you in time**   
**And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now**   
**I'm out of touch, I'm out of love**   
**I'll pick you up when you're getting down**   
**And out of all these things I've done, I will love you better now**

As the duo finished the chorus, their voices both trailed off as they looked each other in  the eyes, hands still connected. Camila bit her bottom lip. They were only a few inches apart, it would have been so easy to just lean in and capture the brunette's lips. But she berated herself for thinking those things, and so immediately pulled away, letting go of Lauren's hand. Both females felt an emptiness as they lost contact, but both didn't mention their obvious chemistry.

"See what I mean? About playing off of others. Get your partner involved with the song, even if you're not the one singing." Camila smiled at Lauren and nodded. She understood what she was saying. "So, like I said, work on getting different moves for different songs, and that kind of stuff, yeah?" Camila enthusiastically agreed with Lauren and told her she would.

They worked for an hour or so before it was quitting time, and time for Camila to go home. But in a moment of weakness, be it because of the proximity she had shared with Lauren all afternoon, or the gravity of her feelings, she leaned in and kissed Lauren on the cheek. Lauren froze and Camila, realizing what she had just done, blushed furiously and mumbled a quick goodbye, before scampering out of the studio.

Lauren just stood there, reaching up to the place where Camila had just kissed her. Smiling to herself, she felt a little intimidated at what Camila was making her feel.


	5. Celebrity Mentors and A Change of Venue

Returning to the studio the next day, Camila was feeling chipper as usual. Despite her little slip up with Lauren the day prior, she was still feeling good about what was to come. She had brought her laptop to the set to do a little research into new performing techniques and styles. She knew, from both Lauren telling her and just knowing herself, that she had a specific style, and she wanted to gather ideas from others to incorporate into her own performance. Much like she was doing with her singing, in terms of widening her genre range.

When she arrived on set, she noticed that all four coaches were standing on the main stage, and her fellow competitors were milling about, all gathered around the stage, waiting. Lauren caught her eye and the coach smiled at her. She waved her over and Camila almost bounded over towards her, as Lauren moved away from the other coaches to talk with her.

"Morning Camila." Lauren stated, a little groggily. It was apparent that Lauren wasn't a morning person.

Camila almost giggled, but instead just flashed her a bright smile. "Morning Lauren, what's going on?" She gestured to everyone standing around.

"Oh, we're waiting on everyone to get here. We're going to be bringing in some celebrity advisers today and we wanted to have everyone here." Camila nodded.

"Oh, alright!" She said brightly.

Lauren smiled at Camila's morning eagerness. She definitely wasn't a morning person herself, but she couldn't help but be happy to see Camila so chipper in the morning. It was infectious.

"Well, it'll be a few minutes before everyone gets here, so feel free to hang around and chat, need to go do.. coach shit." Lauren laughed and so did Camila. The Latina loved Lauren's bluntness and openness about things.

She waved bye to Lauren as the producer went back over to the coaches. She looked around and finally spotted Ally, the girl that she had met on her first day. She approached the girl, waving as Ally spotted her. The short girl waved her over.

"Hey Camila, how have you been?" Camila shrugged. "Pretty good, I can't really complain." Ally smiled. "Well, I managed to catch your battle with Louis. To tell you the truth, I think Harry made a mistake picking him. You did way better." Camila blushed a little at the compliment.

"Thanks Ally. I don't know, I don't really blame either of them, they did what they had to. I'm just glad Lauren picked me up." Ally noted Camila's eyes light up as she mentioned Lauren, but was tactful enough not to bring it up.

"Yeah, at least you're still here. And hey, more of a chance to show up Louis." Camila laughed.

"That's true. I've never been one to hold a grudge, but I admit it would be nice to beat him." Ally nodded.

"Of course." Camila took a minute to look at her fellow contestant and really examine her. She was fairly small, however she did have curves; Camila could appreciate that. She was never really into labels of her sexuality. She figured love was love, no matter what gender, or lack thereof if the case may be. Ally could see Camila's eyes raking her body and she smirked. "See something you like?" Camila blushed lightly at being caught before bringing her eyes up to meet Ally.

"Maybe. I can appreciate the female body as much as the next person. I hope you don't mind?" Ally laughed and shook her head. "Nope, it's fine. Trust me, I get way more leering looks on a daily basis. You're all good."

Camila and Ally chatted about arbitrary things for a few minutes before the coaches called all their attentions. The pair quieted and turned to watch the coaches intently. They were all excited to see how their celebrity advisor would be. This season there was only going to be one per team, and they would be around from the Knockout rounds up to the finals. So needless to say, they were going to be around for a while.

Adam stepped up to address all the contestants. Camila looked around and noted who was left; obviously her and Ally, she saw Louis over in a corner with another guy; Austin she thought his name was, although she wasn't sure. It was an odd name to say the least. She also noticed a quiet woman named Hailee, and a taller, lanky male with glasses whose name eluded her. Plus everyone else, but they were the only ones she recognized from seeing them around often enough.

"Okay ladies and gents, you've all passed your respective battles, and now it's time to move on to the knockout rounds. As most of you probably know, you'll have one celebrity adviser this season, picked out personally by your coach. You'll be working with both you coach and adviser for the rest of the show." All the contestants nodded their heads in acknowledgement.

"So without further ado, let's bring them out." Everyone in the studio clapped loudly in anticipation of who they would be working with." Adam turned to the side wing. "So for my team, I'm bringing in, artist, Calvin Harris." He gestured over to where his fellow artist stepped out and happily waved to everyone. Adam's team, Ally included, seemed excited to the prospect of working with him.

Next up, Blake took the stage. "Alright boys and girls, now that Adam over here is finally done blabbering." The Maroon 5 frontman childishly, but subtly flipped him the bird. Everyone laughed as Blake just rolled his eyes. "What I was trying to say, my celebrity advisor is.. Jason Aldean." he brought attention over to the side stage, where Jason was leaning up against a door frame, he bow slightly and tipped his hat. Blake's team was mostly the country singers, there were a few pop/rock voices in there but they were all smiling at the country singer. They were all eager to see what the famous country artist would teach them.

Harry stepped up next. "Looks like I'm up. Alright team, I'm bringing in.. Sam Smith!" Most of Harry's team cheered, as the Grammy winning artist walked in and stood next to Harry, pulling the guy into a side hug. Louis had a gleam in his eyes as he processed who he was going to be working with. Sam Smith was one of his favorite musicians.

And that left Lauren. Camila was closely watching Lauren for any possible hint of who they would be working with. Camila really didn't have any idea who the coach is going to bring in. Being a music producer and artist, she was pretty well connected. There were a ton of possible choices. Lauren took a breath and cleared her throat, the studio quieting down after the previous three mentors had been introduced.

"Well, looks like it's just me left. Leave it to them to have my mentor be the last, no pressure right?" Some of the contestants chuckled. "Well, let's just say I'm bringing in a close, personal friend. Everybody, Normani Kordei!" Camila squealed a little bit, as Ally smiled at the excited Latina. The said artist walked out on stage and waved at everyone. Camila grinned, knowing that she'd get to work with the Normani Kordei. She knew a little bit of the history between Lauren and Normani so she was excited to see how the two worked together.

"Okay, well, since you've all been introduced to the celeb mentor for your team, you're all going to go off with your coaches for a little bit." Lauren finished up. Each contestant headed in the direction their coaches were heading as they all went off their separate directions. Camila waved goodbye to Ally as she followed Lauren and the rest of their team to one of the coaching studios.

Once everyone was situated, Lauren and Normani addressed the team. "So, I'd imagine most of you guys know Normani Kordei" The producer gestured to her friend as the woman politely waved her hand. Most of the contestants nodded their heads in acknowledgement, Camila included. "Well, for the next couple of weeks, we're going to be preparing you for KnockOut rounds. For those of you who might not know how they work, you'll be paired with one other person, like in the Battle Rounds, but you'll be independently choosing a song to sing. Your partner won't know what you're singing, so on the night of Knockouts, it's a surprise. Once both of you have done your piece, we'll be eliminating one of you." Camila knew how this worked and she was determined to not fall short again. She was going to come out on top of whoever she was paired up again. There were some talented singers on Lauren's team, but this time Camila is confident that she would be on top of her game.

Normani stepped up to say a few words. "Alright guys, the vampire here told me you're all really talented artists." Lauren frowned a little bit at what her friend called her, and Camila couldn't help but giggle a little at the coach's pout. It looked cute on her.

"Well for the next couple of weeks, we'll be working on everything under the sun to make you all even more talented. You'll be working hard, but those of you who take this seriously will definitely come out on top." Camila looked around to see a few heads bobbing up and down, and a few faces that just looked bored. Camila could tell who was really invested in this and who wasn't from their body language alone, and she figured that Lauren and Normani did as well. Lauren looked down at her clipboard. "Keaton, you're up first today. The rest of you, feel free to go about your own practicing and rehearsing. We probably won't see everyone today, but should reach all of you within the next couple of days. That's all." Lauren said as she dismissed them.

Camila gathered up her laptop and bee lined for her usual studio. Shutting the door behind her, she set up her computer on the small table that was in the room with her. While she was waiting for it to   
boot up, she let her mind wander. She couldn't wait to see what the next couple of weeks would bring. She'd be working with Normani Kordei of all people. She was extremely excited at the prospect. She was one of her favorite artists, she really liked her upbeat, cheerful sound. But she was also equally if not more so looking forwards to being able to spend more time with Lauren.

She still was a little embarrassed about the kiss she gave Lauren the previous day, but she wasn't going to let that control her behavior. What's done was done, and she couldn't take it back, even if she wanted to. But even just recalling her lips against the coach's soft cheek, she couldn't help but sigh in happiness. Lauren was such a mysterious person. In her attempted research, which half of was drooling over pictures she looked up, she rarely ever came across any personal information about the renowned artist. What little she did find was just basic information; age, birthplace, and other little things like that.

Camila didn't know what she expected to find, but she was surprised that different magazines and heaven forbid, Wikipedia had little to no information on her beyond her career. All she really knew was that Lauren was a 21 year old from Miami. She had attended Miami Dade College briefly before moving to LA to end up being one of the most well known artist and producers in California and probably in the entire music industry. How she managed that at her age, Camila couldn't fathom. She can't even cook or find her own socks and she literally have to ask for Dinah's help every once in a while.

Opening up the browser on her computer, she immediately went to YouTube to look up some live performances of different artists. She wanted to watch some of the greats perform so she could try to channel some of their style. Camila decided she wanted to look up Michael Jackson first, so typing his name into the search bar, she didn't really know what to expect to find.  Although noting some of his most famous songs, including Smooth Criminal and Thriller, she figured she at least should have expected that. She clicked on the thumbnail of Thriller music video, figuring if anything, she'd at least get to watch the king dance.

For the next couple of hours Camila was immersed in different videos of different artists spanning from classics like Queen and the Rolling Stones, to more modern artists like The Weeknd and Halsey.

As she absorbed her performance techniques, Camila started noticing little nuances between generations of artists. There were things that bands of the 1970's did, that artists are still doing now. Camila paid close attention in particular to these little details. To harken back to the 'classic' days of music was something that a lot of people liked to see. It brought nostalgia to many people to see performances that they might have seen a decade or two ago. As she was skimming through videos, she figured she might as well start thinking about what she wanted to sing for knockouts. She knew that she was definitely going to get Lauren and Normani to help her on what to sing, but it didn't hurt to have a few ideas prepared.

Camila wasn't really sure what style or era she wanted to pull her song from, so as she scoured YouTube for some ideas, she kept an open mind. She knew there were some genres she just couldn't do, but she was getting a lot better at expanding her musical view. Before she really stuck to catchy pop songs, but now she was venturing more into soul music and some alternative-ish rock. Camila also wanted to grab a song that meant something special to her. She always sang and performed better when the song had meaning.

Maybe that's why she wasn't at the absolute top of her game during the battle round. Style was a good song, and Camila liked the meaning behind it, but she didn't really connect with the song. After a couple more hours of trying to find some potential song choices, Camila decided to pack up for the day. Lauren wasn't going to be seeing her until the next day, so she figured she might as well head home. Gently putting her laptop back in the case, she flipped the light switch in the studio and headed towards the apartment her and Dinah; her part time manager and full-time best friend is sharing for the afternoon.

The next day when Camila arrived at the studio, Lauren seemed to be waiting for her, because as soon as she walked in, she was greeted by her coach. "Good morning Camila." Lauren smiled happily. Camila loved to see Lauren's happy grin, she thought it was a stunning sight to see, especially because it doesn't grace much on Lauren's face.

"Morning Lauren!" Camila, forgetting the rules of personal boundaries, quickly wrapped her arms around the green eyed female. Lauren stiffened for half a second, before wrapping her arms around the Latina, relaxing into the embrace. The two lingered in their hug a little bit longer than typical friends.

Normani happened to witness the exchange between the two, and she internally smiled for her friend. Lauren had never been a particularly open person, usually shying away from contact of any sort. Despite her walls of stone, the female artist considered Lauren one of her best friends and was happy that someone seemed to be getting through to her.

"So, you're up first for this morning, if that's alright with you?" Camila nodded eagerly, she was excited to meet Normani and have her take on her singing. Lauren gestured for Camila to follow her as the two females made their way to one of the coaching studios; the same one that they had practiced in a few days prior. Normani was close on the pair's heels, entering the studio after them, shutting the door quietly. Camila turned around to see the woman standing there. She let out a little uncontrollable squeal, and both Lauren and Normani chuckled a little.

Camila approached the female artist, thrusting her hand out, which she took and shook firmly. "Hi! I'm Camila Cabello, I'm a really big fan." Camila gushed, unable to control her word vomit. She didn't really know why she was reacting in such in such a way, because she wasn't like this when she met Adam, Blake or Harry; even Lauren.

But Normani was one of her favorite artists, and so she figured it must've been the excitement and nerves showing.

"Well, hello Camila, you ready to show us what you've got?" Camila nervously nodded. She must have picked up on Camila's insecurity, because Normani placed a hand on Camila's shoulder. "No need to be nervous. We're, by that I mean Lauren and I, are here to help you." Camila nodded a little bit more confidently. She could do this.

Both professional recording artists went to go sit down, while Camila got herself situated. "Anything in particular I should sing?" She inquired. The both shook their heads. "Just sing what you feel like." Camila took a deep breath.

**Baby, I'm preying on you tonight**   
**Hunt you down eat you alive**   
**Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals**

Camila didn't really know what to sing, so she just pulled the first song that she could think of. Maroon 5 wasn't really her go to style, but she still felt comfortable singing their songs.

**Maybe you think that you can hide**   
**I can smell your scent from miles**   
**Just like animals, animals, like animals-mals**   
**Baby, I'm**

Lauren and Normani listened to the Latina intently. Lauren was immediately impressed that Camila went with more of a rock- ish song than her usual go to bubblegum pop style. But Lauren also knew that Camila had been working really hard to venture into genres that she had little experience with. Normani on the other hand, who hadn't heard her sing, was impressed by the powerful belt of the aspiring singer. She, like most of the other coaches, picked up immediately that Camila have that little something special that you didn't come across very often. She had a real passion for music, she could see it in her eyes and hear it in her voice.

**So what you trying to do to me**   
**It's like we can't stop we're enemies**   
**But we get along when I'm inside you**   
**You're like a drug that's killing me**   
**I cut you out entirely**   
**But I get so high when I'm inside you**

Camila desperately wanted to impress Normani, because ever since she had lost to Louis, she wanted to prove that she still belonged on _The Voice_ , that Lauren hadn't made a mistake of picking her. So whenever she was singing in front of other people, she had this internalized goal of proving herself.

**Yeah, you can start over, you can run free**   
**You can find other fish in the sea**   
**You can pretend it's meant to be**   
**But you can't stay away from me**   
**I can still hear you making that sound**   
**Taking me down, rolling on the ground**   
**You can pretend that it was me**   
**But no**

Camila's voice trailed off as she finished the verse. Lauren and Normani were looking at Camila, both seeming to be analyzing what they just heard. Lauren spoke up first. "You've been progressing really well Camila, I'm super proud of you." Camila beamed at the compliment from her coach. Normani nodded in agreement. "I'm really impressed by what I heard. You've got a lot of potential girl." Camila was even more over the moon to hear Normani's words. She had impressed the talented singer artist. She was feeling ecstatic, and her emotions were written all over her face.

Both Lauren and Normani noticed, and they both chuckled at Camila's obviously exuberance. Both Lauren and her celebrity friend were looking forward to working with the passionate woman in front of them. And if a certain producer was honest with herself, she would realize that she wanted more out of Camila than just a professional relationship. What she wanted, she wasn't entirely sure. But she was continually getting more excited to work closely with the Latina and she hoped that Camila would prove to be able to move on to the finals.

-

Later on that day, Camila found herself just lounging about on set. She had her coaching session with Lauren and Normani earlier that morning, and she was very satisfied with the results. Both artists thought she had potential, and they both admired her singing voice. The Latina was extremely proud of herself after the session. So proud in fact that she decided to relax for the rest of the day. Camila wasn't usually one to slack off _(well, when it comes to things she is extremely dedicated to)_ , but despite her happiness of how her place on The Voice was going, she was still feeling stressed. She thought it would be a good idea to unwind a little and relax. It would give her a chance to take stock of her emotions. Which is what led her to just sitting in the set 'break room,' spacing off. A few contestants had flitted in and out during the afternoon, but hardly any of them spoke to her. The only one that did was Ally. The short gal sat with Camila during lunch and they chatted about   
arbitrary things.

"How is coaching going for you Ally? How's Calvin?" Camila inquired and Ally smiled.

"It's going great! He's great. He's actually super friendly and it's nice to meet such a great artist. I'm feeling really good about my abilities; I've gotten a lot better since I've started."

"Laying off the overly teasing performances?" Ally laughed.

"Toning it down a little maybe, but definitely not giving it up anytime soon." Camila chuckled along with Ally. She should have known the girl wouldn't just give up on that."How about you though? How are you doing?"

Camila shrugged, but Ally could see the excited glint in her eyes anyways. "It's going good. Had my session with Lauren and Normani this morning. Had to sing for them. Lauren told me that I'm getting way better and Normani seemed impressed. I mostly spent the time listening to Normani and Lauren reminisce about their early career together."

"Ooh, I bet you have some awesome stories then. There isn't a lot out there on their relationship." Camila felt a slight jealous tug at her stomach at the word 'relationship' but she let it go. It wasn't her place to have that particular feeling over Lauren. They weren't even friends really. Although she did want to be friends with Lauren.

"I mean, I guess so. Nothing really to write home about." Ally laughed and shook her head. "Really Camila, if Lauren is willing to openly talk about her early career around you, that's big." Camila furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm sure you've noticed that there's a lack of information on Lauren before she made it big, correct?" Camila hesitantly nodded in acknowledgement, not really wanting to admit that she'd been researching her celebrity crush. Ally seemed to take no notice of her hesitation though. "Well, that's because, rumor has it at least, that she had a hard early life and likes to keep it out of the media. She's a particularly reserved individual and doesn't open up to many people. The fact that she seems so at ease with you is kind of something to write home about."

Camila pondered this for a minute or two. Was what Ally said true? Lauren hadn't been anything but open and honest with her since they met, or at least she liked to think so. But there was sense in Ally's words. Lauren didn't seem like the type of person to spill her guts to just anyone. Unlike Camila. The Latina knew that she was always the type of person who wore her emotions on her sleeve. Which was why she was so nervous about being in close proximity to Lauren. She was afraid that her feelings would surface and the producer would notice. That would make things awkward. Lauren was so far out of her league, it was crazy.

Ally got up and threw out the remains of her lunch. "I've got to go Camila. It was nice chatting with you. And really, Lauren seems to like you. I've seen you two around the studio, and I've seen her with your other teammates too. Trust me, you're way closer to her than you think." Camila could have sworn she saw a mischievous glint in Ally's eyes, but the short woman left too quickly for Camila to truly process what that look meant.

-

On the other hand, Lauren was sitting with Normani in one of the coaching studios with another one of her team members; Austin Mahone, he was good, but his attitude was not one of his redeeming qualities. He was an overly confident, cocky kid who thought he was God's gift to the world. Needless to say that Lauren wasn't entirely a fan of his, but she had picked him up anyways. She had to admit he's got talent.

"Mahone, I've got one thing that I really want you to work on." The boy nodded. "Tone down your superior attitude. It may or may not be intentional, but you certainly give off an 'I'm better than you' vibe, and that's not a good thing in this industry. You might be better than someone, but no one likes something who Lords it over their head. Chill out a little bit." Austin looked like he wanted to argue with her, but one sharp look from Normani silenced him. He just nodded and left the pair.

Lauren covered her face with her hands. "God, I sometimes wonder why I picked that one." Normani was able to make out the muffled words from her long time friend. "You know why you did. He's got a good voice. You needed to fill up your team, and he was as good as any, better than some. Although I can tell you're less than impressed with his behavior, if your parting words had anything to say about it." Lauren sighed.

"That was probably mean what I told him, but he deserved it." Normani laughed, but agreed. "I don't know how you managed this last season Mani." referring to how she coached all the aspiring singers on her team last season. The female artist shrugged. "I don't really know either. Most of these people are passionate about music, we all have that in common. Most of them just want a shot for a break and make it big, we can all sympathize with that."

Lauren nodded. She definitely could. Her first few months out in LA had been hard. She was barely scraping by with the gigs she got. It wasn't until she happened to book a gig at a semi-popular club that Nomani had happened to be at, that she finally got her chance. She had gotten an extremely lucky break. She knew that, and she knew that some artists in the industry resented her for it; exhibit A, Harry Styles.

She knew that Harry didn't like that Lauren had broken into the industry as easily as she did. The two had never seen eye to eye in college and she knew the Harry worked way harder to get where she was. Not that Lauren didn't work hard, but she got an early contact in the business, Harry didn't. She knew that it took Harry a couple years to make it into the music industry full time. It only took Lauren around half a year to really get herself going. Lauren didn't hate Harry. Not really. She was just too stubborn and closed off about her feelings to actually talk to the guy. She resorted to antagonizing and being flippant to him instead.

"Laur, you there? I lost you for a minute." Lauren snapped out of her thought process, attention back on Normani. She looked at the woman sheepishly.

"Yeah, sorry. Sort of got lost in thought." Normani sighed, she knew that look.

"About Styles again?" Lauren grimaced but nodded. Normani was one of the few people she had actually told about what happened between them in college. She was always telling her that she should just suck it up and talk to him, but Beca was weird about that kind of stuff, so she never did.

"I keep on telling you Laur, you should just talk to him. I really doubt he hates you. He's probably irritated and annoyed at you, but from what I know about you two, I doubt he hates you."

Lauren just shrugged, her friend sighed but dropped the subject. If she had learned anything about Lauren it was that if she didn't want to talk about something, it was like pulling a teeth to get her to talk.

"Anyways, back to business I guess." She said, changing subjects. "Who do you think, if anyone, is going to make it to finals?"

It was a slight bit of a competition between them, where they tried to predict who from their team would make it to finals.

"Camila."

Lauren said without any hesitation. She knew she was probably playing favorites with the woman, but there was something about the perky singer that she liked.

Normani gave Lauren a knowing smile. "Didn't have to think hard about that did you?"

"Nope." She said, popping the 'p.' "You know as well as I do that she's good. She's special." Even as the words left her mouth, Lauren knew she was more invested in Camila than she wanted to admit. She had been sharing stories, personal ones, with her during their session earlier that morning. She didn't do that with just anyone. It took months for Normani to get anything out of her, and she had only known Camila a few weeks. And even then, she didn't have that much time with her.

"You've got it bad, girl." Lauren's head snapped to Normani.

"I... I don't know what you're talking about." She's Lauren Jauregui, she doesn't talk about feelings.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about. How many people do you ever let past even the first layer of your walls? Not that many people. And sharing personal stories after the second session? You've got feelings of some sort for her, don't you?"

Does she? Does Lauren Jauregui like Camila Cabello? It doesn't matter regardless really. She is Camila's coach; doing anything with Camila would be a conflict of interest. Besides, from what she knew of Camila, the Latina was bubbly and happy with everyone. She doubted that Camila liked her that way.

"Doesn't matter what I feel Mani. Nothing can happen." Normani sighed.

"I mean Laur, it's ultimately your decision but I haven't seen your eyes light up like that, ever. Camila walks into a room and your mood picks up." Lauren shook her head and slapped Normani's arm, none too softly either.

"Hey! I'm calling them as I see them. I just want you to be happy Lo." She placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I know."

-

It was late afternoon and Camila was getting ready to head out. As she was packing up, Lauren walked up to her.

"Hi Camila."

The Latina jumped. Lauren covered her mouth to keep from laughing. Camila's eyes narrowed and she glared at Lauren.

"It's not funny Lauren. You startled me. Anyways, what's up?" Lauren rocked back and forth on her heels a little bit.

"Listen, I've got a proposition for you. The coaching studios here are great and all, but they lack some of the equipment that I want to use to coach you. My personal recording studio isn't far from here. Would you mind if we meet there for our next session. It'll just be you and me though. Normani has a show to play out of town."

Camila hesitated. Alone, with Lauren Jauregui? Off of studio grounds no less. She should have been ecstatic that Lauren wanted to bring her to her recording studio. But Camila was unsure of her reins on her feelings. She didn't want to slip up because they were alone.

Lauren took Camila's silence as a rejection of her idea though. "I... I mean, we don't - we don't  have to if you're not comfortable..." Lauren trailed off when Camila's bright brown eyes met hers.

"No! I mean... No. I was just.. processing. I'd love to, if it's not too much trouble for you?" Lauren shook her head.

"I wouldn't have offered if it was." Camila nodded her head vigorously.

"Sure then. That would be awesome!" Camila squealed in glee before wrapping her arms around the older woman.

Lauren laughed awkwardly before patting Camila on the back. Although when Camila let go of her, she immediately missed the contact and warmth that she felt.

"Well.." Lauren pulled a slip of paper out of her back pocket, "h-here's the address of my studio, just show this to my receptionist and she'll let you through. Tomorrow morning?" Hoping Camila wouldn't notice her nerves and the fact that she's got  a piece of paper ready, not wanting to come off as eager.

Camila grinned and nodded as she reached out to take the slip of paper.

"Thanks so much Lauren!" Again wrapping her arms around the older girl. This time though, Lauren was more prepared and she laughed at the Latina's exuberance. She just wrapped her arms around Camila's waist. When they broke apart, Camila once again, accidentally let her grip on her emotions fall. She pressed her lips to Lauren's soft cheek. Realizing what she had just done, she quickly untangled their limbs. Quickly scurrying away, Camila yelled over her shoulder, "I'll see you tomorrow Laur!"

And for the second time since meeting Camila Cabello, Lauren brought her hand to the place there Camila's lips touched her face. Smiling slightly, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to imagine that the kiss meant as much to Camila as it did to her.


	6. First Lunch Date?

Camila pulled the small slip of paper out of her pocket, to check that she had the right address. Lauren had been right; her recording studio was fairly close to where they worked on _The Voice_ , only a few minutes from the main studio. Camila pulled out her cell phone to check the time, and saw that it was only about 9:00 AM. But Lauren had never set a specific time to meet up for her coaching session. The singer didn't want to appear overly eager to see the coach and arrive at the crack of dawn, but that didn't change the fact that was how she felt.

She had accidently kissed Lauren on the cheek before leaving the studio the previous day, and she could still feel the tingle on her lips as they brushed up against the soft skin of Lauren's cheek. She had been berating herself for doing so, but now she figured what's done was done. She just hoped it wouldn't make things awkward between them. If anything Camila could just brush it off that she was like that to everyone. It wasn't far from the truth. Sure, she didn't kiss everyone on the cheek, but she was less conscious of personal boundaries than most people. She didn't really have a full grasp on social cues like that. It got her in trouble more than once.

Looking up at the building, she took a breath and entered. She immediately noted the semi- large waiting room, and the single receptionist sitting behind her desk. She approached slowly, the slip of paper that Lauren had given her the previous day gripped tightly in her hand.The woman sitting behind the desk looked up at her and smiled.

"Hello, may I help you?" Camila nodded.

"Lauren Jauregui gave me the address. I'm one of her.. trainees on _The Voice_ and she wanted to coach me here today?" What started out as a statement ended up sounding like a question. But the woman just nodded her head and grinned at Camila.

"So, you're Camila, correct?" The singer nodded. "Right, Lauren told me this morning that she was expecting you. Take a seat and I'll call her down." Camila nodded gratefully at the receptionist and went to go sit down. It wasn't too long before the elevator dinged and Lauren Jauregui stepped out. Camila smiled at the sight of the beautiful coach and stood up to go meet her. Without really thinking, she pulled Lauren into a brief hug. The woman chuckled before wrapping her arms around Camila and squeezing.

As the two separated, Lauren glanced over at her receptionist, who was giving her a knowing smile. Lauren just rolled her eyes. "Thanks for letting me know she's here Elise. I'll be working with her, most likely for the rest of the day. Please make sure that I'm not disturbed unless it's 100% necessary." Elise nodded at Lauren as the producer took Camila's hand and almost dragged her back into the elevator, the doors sliding shut behind them.

On their way up, Lauren fidgeted around a bit before speaking. "So, how have you been?" Camila giggled a little bit at Lauren's attempt at small talk.

"You mean in the last seventeen or so hours since I saw you last?" She teased. Lauren just huffed.

"I guess so."

"Nothing too much. Just went back to the apartment I share with my bestfriend/manager, had dinner, and just crashed in front of the TV for a while before going to sleep. Normal day in the life of Camila Cabello." The Latina shrugged. Her life outside of the music industry wasn't that interesting. Outside of _The Voice_ and the small gigs she did at random bars around Los Angeles, her life was the same as any other average American. "What about you?" Camila asked to keep the conversation flowing.

"Had one more person to see after you left yesterday. Mani and I chatted for a while before I headed back to my apartment. Picked up take out Chinese on the way back. And then just sat in front of my laptop working on new songs and wrote a few lyrics. I'm not signed to work with any artists right now because of coaching, so I have more free time outside of _The Voice_ than I normally would if I were producing." Camila nodded in understanding. But before she could respond, the elevator doors dinged open and Lauren gestured for Camila to step out before her.

The two exited the elevator and Lauren led them to what Camila presumed to be her office. Opening the door, Camila's eyes widened at the sight. It wasn't really the office itself; it was what you'd expect of any multi-Grammy winning producer and singer. What really got to her was the view. Lauren chuckled a little at Camila's reaction and gently pushed her in the door, closing it behind them.

Camila beelined for the large windows overlooking LA. She knew the building was a tall one, based on what she had seen outside. But she hadn't realized just how tall it was until she was in Lauren's office, which happened to be at the top. Looking out over the city, it was a beautiful view of Los Angeles. "You get to look out these windows all day?" Camila questioned, more to herself than anyone in particular.

Lauren walked over to Camila, standing next to the Latina. "If I spent all my time in the office, yes. But as it is I spend most of my time in the recording studio, producing or singing; depending on what I'm signed to do at the time. The penthouse office at this point is more of a formality. Where else would I put all my awards?" Lauren jokingly pointed over at the cabinet that held her Grammys, as well as a platinum record or two. While her Grammy wins were her pride and joy, she still displayed the Billboard Music Awards, MTV Music Awards and the multiple other smaller awards that she had won over her career, it has more meaning to her than those other awards; to remind herself on how she started.

Camila glanced over at Lauren before staring out the window again. "You know, something like this has always been my dream?" Camila murmured, more to herself than to Lauren, but the producer still heard her.

"You've easily got the talent to get yourself here Camz." Camila smiled at the nickname Lauren had unconsciously given her. People usually call her Mila. _Camz,_ It's different, but a good different. "Play your cards right, and you'll be the next big thing." Camila looked over at Lauren.

"You really think that?" Lauren nodded her head vigorously. "I don't bullshit people Camila. You have a great voice, even greater performance value, you're dedicated, you're eager to learn, you're easy to like and connect with, of course you'll make it in this business. I won't lie, it'll be hard, it's going to be a lot of work, but I think you can pull it off. I was in your shoes not all that long ago, I know how it feels. Just focus on your dream." Camila searched Lauren's eyes and saw nothing but honesty. Camila was trying hard to not become all emotional and cry on Lauren, but her confidence in the singer was too much. She felt a couple of tears drip down her face before she wiped them off and laughed.

"Jeez Jauregui, look at what you've done to me."

"Hey Cabello, I'm just telling you the truth. It's your fault you're going all emotional on me." Lauren said dryly. Although to herself, she was thinking that even if they were tears of happiness, she hated to see tears come out of Camila's eyes at all. "Anyways, enough of this mushy stuff for now, I believe I owe you a coaching session." Camila nodded and Lauren gestured to the chair next to her desk, which Camila took.

Sitting down beside the Latina, Lauren started talking. "Okay, so when I was talking with Mani last night, we both agreed that we see a lot of musical potential with you. So I want to ask you a few questions so I can kind of gauge where you are as a musician, is that okay?" Camila nodded.

"How long have you been singing exactly?" Camila had to think about it for a few seconds.

"Since middle school. I took choir as my musical elective and fell in love. Continued that through high school. And when I went to college I made some side income from taking gigs in sports bars and entertaining at parties on campus. Moved out from Miami to LA and continued running around doing that until I ended up here." Lauren nodded.

"So did you ever study musical theory or anything like that?"

"Briefly. I didn't spent all that long on it. Enough to get the basics down, and then I went off on my own." Lauren was a little impressed that an artist of Camila's caliber wasn't professional trained outside of public school. And the education system wasn't exactly well known for their lucrative funding of the music department on this day and age.

"Impressive. Play any instruments?" Camila nodded.

"Piano. I tried guitar, but I'm not that good at it, I think, so I just stuck to piano." A light bulb went off in Lauren's head as she learned that little piece of information about the singer sitting at her desk.

"Okay, now that, we can work with. That gives you a massive edge up against everyone else." Camila cocked her head to the side, a little confused. Lauren just laughed at Camila's confusion. "The ability to play an instrument isn't something you should take for granted, even in this business Camz. Not all singers can play an instrument. The fact that you do gives you a major advantage. You think you could play for me today?" Camila nodded.

"Yeah, probably." Lauren got up and beckoned for Camila to follow her. The pair exited Lauren's office and walked down the hall to a massive recording studio, complete with a grand piano set up in the corner of the room.

"So, this is where all the magic happens." Lauren said, waving around the room. Camila stepped in, once again in awe of what she saw before her. She had never really seen a real, legit producing studio like this. Sure the ones on The Voice were cool, but they were nothing like what she is seeing now. Complete with a massive sound studio, recording and mixing equipment, dual monitor setup, and multiple instruments scattered around the room, ranging from piano to ukulele. There was even a cushy couch crammed into one of the corners of the room.

"This is amazing Laur." Camila gushed as she bee-lined over to sit on the piano bench. "This is a really nice piano." She said as she ran her fingers gently over the ivory keys. Lauren sat next to Camila on the bench.

"Yeah, I ended up investing in one when I started working with artists who could play and played their own piano arrangements in their songs." Camila glanced over at Lauren and she blushed lightly when she realized exactly how close Lauren was to her on the bench.

"Do.. do you play?" Camila stammered out, trying to compose herself. Lauren, seemingly oblivious to Camila's current predicament, answered immediately.

"No, not really. Not anymore. I used to play, but now it mostly just adding in melodies or beats to a mix or song. I know enough to be able to help you, so don't worry about that. But enough about me, this is about you and your talents. Show me what you've got Cabello!" Camila gulped.

"Anything in particular you want me to play?" Lauren shook her head.

"Just play whatever you want." Camila racked her brain for a melody that she could think of at the moment. As Camila played the first few notes, Lauren picked up quickly what Camila is playing. The Latina had picked When I was your man by Bruno Mars. Smiling at Camila's choice of song, Lauren couldn't help but start singing along to what is playing.

( **C: Bold  L: Italic)**

_Same bed but it feels just a little bit bigger now_   
_Our song on the radio but it don't sound the same_   
_When our friends talk about you, all it does is just tear me down_   
_'Cause my heart breaks a little when I hear your name_

The sound of Lauren's rich alto voice threw Camila off a little bit initially, but after the surprise wore off, the Latina grinned. Camila was playing an arrangement of the song that didn't need a voice to it, but it sounded ten times better having someone sing, and it made it even better that it was Lauren.

_It all just sounds like oooooh..._   
_Mmm, too young, too dumb to realize_

Camila found herself starting to get lost in Lauren's voice. Granted she had listened to Lauren's numerous vocal tracks many times, but this was different. It felt more intimate. And Camila couldn't help but feel overwhelmed by her emotions at this point. She was falling in deeper to Lauren, and she couldn't stop herself; she can now say to herself that this, is not just a simple crush anymore. Joining in to add her soprano belt to Lauren's alto, she began to sing along as well.

**That you should have bought me flowers**   
**And held my hand**   
_Should have gave you all my hours_   
_When I had the chance_   
**Take me to every party**   
**'Cause all I wanted to do was dance**   
_Now my baby's dancing_   
_But she's dancing with another man_

Harmonizing with Lauren just felt natural to Camila. And unbeknownst to her, the producer sitting next to her on the piano bench was thinking the exact same thing. Lauren was having a hard time keeping herself professional, but managed it anyways. She couldn't help but notice how well her voice fit together with Camila. The only other person that she had ever harmonized that well with was well... Harry. And that hadn't happened since college.

**Your pride, your ego, your needs, and your selfish ways**   
**Caused a good strong woman like me to walk out your life**

By the time the second verse rolled around, both women were staring intently at the other. Camila was trying to rationalize to herself that it was because she is trying so hard to harmonize with Lauren. That it was the reason for her face being literally inches away from Lauren, staring at her lips.

**Now you never, never get to clean up the mess you made, ohh...**   
**And it haunts me every time I close my eyes**

Realizing how close they really were, Lauren pulled back first. Camila on the other hand, just tried to brush it off and ignore it, and instead of acting awkward, she just smiled widely. "That sounded amazing!" She gushed. "You've got a really nice voice Lauren." The Latina added shyly.

Lauren nodded slightly, more to herself than to Camila. "You do too Camz." She cleared her throat in an attempt to clear her mind of the fog that had invaded it. She blinked a couple of times before continuing. "You've got some mad piano skills. Where did you pick those up?" Camila shrugged.

"I took lessons when I was young and had those for a few years before quitting in favor of school and singing. I always kept up on my own though, playing songs by ear while I sang to them."And that led Lauren to her next question.

"Have you ever transpose or change up existing songs?" Camila nodded.

"On occasion. Not that often, I wasn't that good at it. But I tried." Lauren gave the Latina a knowing smile, indicating that she got an idea.

"Well, I believe that, m'lady, is what we're going to work on. Call it your secret weapon if you will. If you're going to be singing covers on The Voice then that ability will be a big help. It makes a song recognizable, but still different and unique. I'm sure you've heard renditions of songs on YouTube or something that sound better than the original?" Camila nodded.

"Yeah, there are some really talented cover artists out there." Lauren nodded in agreement.

"Yep, and I think if we can cultivate that skill in you, that will give you a huge advantage on the show."

"You think so?" Lauren laughed.

"I know so." Camila smiled.

"Well, when do we start?" Lauren glanced over at the clock and noticed the time. It was approaching noon. How they had been at the studio for nearly three hours was beyond Lauren. She supposed that the old saying 'Time flies when you're having fun,' applied here.

Gesturing over at the clock, "I think we should start with food frankly." Camila also took a look at the clock and gasped a little.

"Three hours? There's no way we've been here for three hours." Lauren chuckled. "Well, I think my clock disagrees. You want to grab some lunch and continue this later?"

Camila bit her lip.

"Not to be rude or anything but, don't you have other people to coach today?" She asked Lauren uncertainly. She didn't really want to be separated from the voice coach, but she also didn't want to monopolize her time if the coach had other things to do. But instead Lauren just waved her off.

"Nah, I coerced Mani to handle everyone else today. I just wanted some quality time with my favorite Latina singer." Camila raised an eyebrow, teasingly. Although she raised her eyebrow too in question of what Lauren said, when Lauren asked her to come by her recording studio she can still recall that she said Normani will be playing some shows out of town; but she didn't dare voice that out loud.

"Oh really? Who's this singer?" Lauren rolled her eyes playfully.

"Just a pretty lady I met on the set of this singing show. Pretty good voice, killer body, no regards for personal boundaries." Lauren said with a wink as Camila blushed at the comment about her 'killer body.'

"Oh? She sounds interesting, you should let me meet her sometime." Lauren just laughed loudly.

"I think you two will get along just fine. But in all seriousness, lunch? There's a really great Italian restaurant down the street." Lauren looked at Camila hopefully.

"Hey, sure why not?" Lauren broke out in a smile.

"Awesome, we'll go have lunch then come back here and get to work" Camila nodded in agreement. Lauren got up off the piano bench and offered her hand to Camila, who took it and the voice coach pulled her to her feet. The two women headed towards the elevator, the trip made mostly in silence, although it wasn't really an awkward silence. Nor was it really that comfortable, it was just silence.

When the two reached the ground floor, Lauren let Elise know that they were going out to lunch and that they would be back in a bit. The receptionist nodded. "Enjoy your lunch ladies."

-

The question of her friendship status with Lauren had been gnawing away at Camila the entire day. And once the two were seated and their orders taken, she couldn't stop herself from blurting out the question that had been plaguing her. "Lauren, are we friends?"

Lauren paused, wondering where that question had come from out of the blue. But it also made Lauren stop and think. This obviously wasn't your normal coach and athlete type of relationship. What coach took one of their pupils out for what was basically a lunch date, one on one? Not one that Lauren had ever had. But the more she thought about it, the more she didn't find herself minding. She didn't have that many people in her life that she would consider friends per say. And she could easily picture Camila Cabello's name at the top of that very short list of friends. Although picturing that, it still felt a little off. Like she knew Camila belonged there, but there was still something slightly wrong.

While Lauren was contemplating her answer, Camila almost facepalmed at her inability to keep her thoughts to herself, especially when they were awkward questions that were sometimes hard to answer. "I mean.. you don't have to answer. I was just.. ugh, I don't know what I was thinking. Forget I sai -" Lauren held up a hand to silence Camila.

"Hey Camz, wait a second. I don't exactly know where that question came from, but yeah. I'd consider us friends, that is, if you're alright with that?" Lauren asked cautiously. She figured Camila didn't have an issue since she brought it up in the first place, but it didn't hurt to get confirmation.

Camila let out a breath that she didn't know she had been holding. "Yeah, I'm alright with that. More than alright really." Lauren smiled.

"Good, then there's that settled. We're friends." Camila internally squealed. This was more than she could have ever hoped for. She came into the world of The Voice with the intention of pushing her career forward. And while that was still her ultimate goal, she also felt elated that she had come out of it with a new friend, Lauren Jauregui of all people as well. She knew she really wished they could be more than just friends, but Lauren was so far out of her league. Camila would deal with just being friends.

Before Camila had a chance to respond though, their food was brought to their table and the two dug in. Camila took the first bite of her pasta and nearly moaned in delight. Lauren smirked.

"Told you it was good." Camila nodded as she swallowed her bite.

"This is delicious. Where has this place been my entire life?" Lauren laughed and shrugged.

The rest of their meal was spent chatting, mostly about Lauren's musical career. Camila found out that Lauren had started out as a kid with a laptop, a pair of Beats headphones and a home mixing board, and that was about it. Lauren admitted that she wasn't a very social person as a teenager and into college, so she threw herself into her mixes and songs.

"I ultimately just wanted to be a music producer. I would have stopped there, but then I met Normani and well, my career went in directions I never saw it taking. But I don't regret it. Creating and producing music will always be my first love in the music industry, but I love all the different parts of it too." Camila noticed that through their discussions, whenever the conversation drifted over to the brunette's personal life, she tended to subtly reflect the topic back to her work.

Camila couldn't help but be insatiably curious about the enigma that was Lauren Jauregui, but she wasn't going to push. She figured that Lauren would tell her what she wanted to tell her in her own time. Camila wasn't usually a patient person, but when it comes to Lauren, a lot of things that she didn't usually do or wasn't usually used to, she'll do it in a heartbeat, normally she will think about it first and will take a hell lot of convincing on someones part to get her to agree to things. And that scared Camila more than she would admit to herself.

After the two finished their lunch, they argued over the check. Lauren eventually won, insisting that she was the one who suggested lunch and that she had more money than she knew what to do with. Camila begrudgingly let her pay, but only after promising that Lauren would let her   
pay for the next one.

"Fine Laur, you win. But I'm paying next time." Lauren raised an eyebrow.

"Next time?" Camila blushed a little. "I mean.. assuming there's going to be a next time." Camila trailed off towards the end to a near silent whisper. She felt a little awkward and embarrassed at presuming.

"Hey Camz, don't worry. There will be a next time. I'm sure you've come across some tiny restaurant gems in your time in LA that we should visit." Camila nodded, feeling instantly better that Lauren wanted to go out with her again. 'As friends, brain, only as friends.' Camila thought to herself. Because if she was honest with herself, when she thought of eating out with Lauren, her traitorous mind turned it into a date every time.

"Good, that's what I thought. Anyways, we probably should get back. We've got the whole afternoon to start on that piano skill of yours." Lauren winked as she held the door open for Camila. The Latina laughed and then the two walked together back towards Lauren's recording studio. Somewhere along the way, Camila had reached out and linked arms with the coach. Both girls smiled at the contact, and Lauren surprised herself by not wanting to distance herself from the singer.

Camila really was starting to break down her barriers. And what scared Lauren the most about that, is she's completely okay with it.


	7. I Want To Record You

It was a few days after their initial meetup at the producer's personal studio setup. Lauren had been teaching Camila how to create new and unique covers, by helping her to transpose or even flat out rewrite the music to songs she wanted to sing.

Lauren had spent the entire afternoon teaching Camila the basics of the theory behind what she wanted the singer to do. But she left a lot of it up to Camila to pursue on her own. Of course the voice coach would be there if Camila had questions or needed a little push, but Lauren knew that Camila is driven and motivated. She didn't want to be too overbearing and not let Camila have her space.

Not to mention the fact that she did have other team members to give her attention to, Normani could only do so much for her. She was the coach, and she was the celebrity advisor. She had done her a solid when she agreed to cover for her when she spent the entire day with Camila. Which she had to admit was one of the best days of her life. The more she learned about the Latina, the more she liked her.

Camila is a very energetic, bubbly, and enthusiastic individual.

Normally Lauren would be turned off by the overly peppy personality the contestant had, but she didn't mind it much on Camila. To be mean or rude to Camila is like kicking a puppy, you just don't do it unless you wanted bad karma for the rest of your life.

She really did consider Camila a friend, which is odd for Lauren, because the producer had so few people she could call true friends, and it usually took months for someone to earn the title. She hadn't even known Camila that long and already she was friends with the Latina. But if she was honest with herself, she didn't really care too much.

The day after her private session with Camila, she returned to set to resume coaching the rest of her team. She took note of who she wanted to pair together in the Knockout rounds. She had a number of very strong singers on her team, but she wanted to come up with pairings that would truly challenge them.

She didn't expect her team members to be perfect, she just wanted to see who would put more work and soul into it. She wanted to know who really wanted to be here, and who was only here because they might get a record deal.

She was currently in between sessions, and just chatting with Normani when her fellow artist brought up a topic that she really wanted to stay away from with her.

"So, how was your session with Camila?" Lauren glared at her as she gave her a knowing look.

"C'mon Laur, I know you. Its a big deal to bring her to your studio to do stuff that you could easily do here. What excuse did you give her anyways?" Lauren sighed, knowing her friend wouldn't let this go.

"I told her that my studio had some equipment that we didn't have here." Normani just laughed.

"Seriously Lauren, she bought that? You might be a professional producer, but honestly.. A show like this not having all the equipment you need to coach? She must really like you if she took that excuse. Or really wanted to get some alone time with you." Normani wiggled her eyebrows suggestively before Lauren hit her on the back of her head.

"It's so not like that. She doesn't like me like that." Lauren said.

"But you want her to? And I don't see you   
denying that you like her." Lauren shut her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Doesn't matter what I feel, she's a contestant, I can't. Even if I wanted to." Lauren added on at the end, as if it made it better.

"Sounds like your trying to convince yourself of that girl." Lauren just huffed.

"Whatever Mani." Lauren waved her off.

"Look Laur, I only want to see you happy. She does that, be it in a friend capacity or something more. She really does like you. You should see her face when you talk to her, it's like she's a young kid at Christmas who just got the exact thing they asked for." Lauren raised an eyebrow and Normani just raised her hands in defense.

"That is one of the cheesiest comparisons I've ever heard you make." The artist just shrugged. And Lauren rolled her eyes before standing up. "I'm going to go get a coffee, you want one?" Normani shook her head.

"Is 'getting a coffee' code for 'going to find Camila?'" Lauren gave her the stink eye before flipping her off and leaving the studio. As she headed for the break room, she got lost in thought. Was Mani right? Did she really like Camila as more than just a friend? Lauren shook her head of that thought. Of course she didn't. She couldn't afford to be feeling like that. Camila is a contestant and she is the coach.

She couldn't do that to Camila. She knew that if there was a more than friendly relationship between them, it could kill the Latina's career. Sure she was good, and in Lauren's mind, that's what mattered. But to the rest of the industry, appearance and connections were just as important.

If people were to know that Camila is sleeping with a judge on _The Voice_ that would probably put her name in the toilet. People would think that Camila had slept her way to winning. Which wouldn't be true of course. Lauren judged everyone the same when it came to music, even people she had an intimate relationship with. That fact had been the cause of more than one relationship of hers to fall through.

Lauren was so deep in thought that she didn't realize that she was about to run into another person, before she was nearly on top of them. Pulled out of her thoughts, she immediately went to apologize to the other person, before noticing the familiar warm brown eyes that she have grown to like.

"Oh hey Camila. Sorry, wasn't paying attention to where I was going." Lauren said to the singer.

"It's okay Lauren! I was just heading back. Ally and I decided to practice a bit together." Lauren nodded. She's glad that the Latina is making friends with her fellow contestants.

"That's cool. I was just going to get myself a coffee before my next coaching session. Hey, are you free to meet me at my studio tomorrow?" Camila nodded.

"Yeah, what time did you have in mind?" Lauren mentally tried to figure out if she had anything important to do tomorrow, mentally groaning when she realized that she had a coaches rehearsal for a song they would be performing for the Knockout rounds.

"I've got a coaches thing in the morning but if you want to come to the set in the morning, we could leave after I'm done?" Camila nodded in agreement.

"Sure, sounds great!" Camila wrapped her arms around Lauren, hugging the older woman before almost skipping off to where she was heading in the first place. Lauren just shook her head, chuckling at the contestant's exuberance.

-

Lauren stood on stage, waiting for Harry to finish with his rant about whatever the hell he was on about now, looking bored.

"Lauren, are you even listening to me?" The producer just shook her head as Harry fumed.

"Look Harry, sorry if I don't perform your song perfectly every time. But it was your choice for me to do yours, I could have easily done Adam or Blake's songs." The coaches were practicing for what would normally be the premier medley, where each of the coaches performed a part of someone else's hit song. But because both Lauren and Harry were unable to prepare for it before the premier, they were going to do it at Knockouts instead.

It was a popular performance by the coaches, and they didn't want to skimp out because two of the coaches had other performance commitments prior to the show. "Sometimes I wonder if you wanted me to do your song, just so you could get back at me for all the times I irritated you in college." You could almost see the steam come out of Harry's ears at the mention of their college years.

"I thought we both agreed to not bring up college again Lauren." The producer just shrugged. But before Harry could rip into her further, Adam stepped in.

"Look, I don't know what happened between you two, but seriously, leave it out of rehearsals, please?"

Lauren rolled her eyes, but nodded in agreement. "I will if she will."

Harry sighed and agreed as well.

Blake was starting off, and funnily enough he was performing Lauren's song, Cool for the Summer. It sounded kind of odd, coming from the country singer, but that was the point of the medley.

**Tell me if it's wrong**   
**If it's right**   
**I don't care**   
**I can keep a secret, can you?**

**Got my mind on your body and your body on my mind**   
**Got a taste for the cherry, I just need to take a bite**

Blake's voice would always have that hint of country in it, but that's what made performing a pop song entertaining. It took something that everyone had heard before and turned it on its head.

**Don't tell your mother**   
**Kiss one another**   
**Die for each other**   
**We're cool for the summer**

Lauren had to admit she was glad that Blake had agreed to do the song. She knew Harry would never do it, even if she wanted the guy to sing it, and Adam, well.. It was the best thing ever to hear him sing a country song. Lauren didn't want to get in the way of that. As the music for Lauren's song faded out, Adam's song came on, which Harry was going to perform.

**Woke up sweating from a dream**   
**with a different kind of feeling**   
**All day long my heart is beating**   
**Searching for the meaning.**

It was an interesting change of beat and pace between the two songs, but Lauren being the master at transposing things like she was, managed to make it work. Harry's pop-rock voice managed to go pretty well with the track, and Harry being Harry worked his ass off to make his version of the song sound as close to the original as possible.

**Hazel eyes I was so color blind**   
**We were just wasting time**   
**For my whole life**   
**We never crossed the line**   
**Only friends in my mind**   
**But now I realized**

Lauren knew that Harry had a great voice, she couldn't deny that. She might have her   
differences with the guy, but they had always been a good pair in the music department, bar Harry's controlling nature and Lauren's natural reaction to push the other man's buttons.

Lauren's part was up next however, and she just wanted to make it through the entire set before Harry decided someone didn't do something up to his standards.

**When I first saw you**   
**From across the room**   
**I could tell that you were curious,**   
**Oh, yeah**   
**Girl, I hope you're sure**   
**What you're looking for**   
**'Cause I'm not good at making promises**

There was a little bit of a rock vibe than Lauren usually heard from Harry, but she was glad the he hadn't tried to pick something that Lauren would be completely unsuited to sing. Lauren had to at least thank Harry for that little saving grace.

**But if you like causing trouble up in hotel rooms**   
**And if you like having secret little rendezvous**   
**If you like to do the things you know that we shouldn't do**   
**Then baby, I'm perfect**   
**Baby, I'm perfect for you**

Adam was harmonizing with her on this song, and with both artists being a little more alternative rock, with some pop flair in their music, it made it natural to sing together.

For the last song, Adam was up, and Lauren had to laugh at the fact that Adam Levine would be singing a country song; written by Blake Shelton no less. Adam, with the help of Lauren and input from Blake had rewritten the music a little bit to fit it in with the medley.

**Yeah the boys 'round here**   
**Drinking that ice cold beer**   
**Talkin' 'bout girls, talkin' 'bout trucks**   
**Runnin' them red dirt roads out, kicking up dust**

Adam was taking a smaller bit of the medley, and the other three coaches suspected it was because he didn't really on record that he sang even a little country, he even insisted that the other three sang with him for the latter half of   
the chorus.

**The boys 'round here**   
**Sending up a prayer to the man upstairs**   
**Backwoods legit, don't take no shit**   
**Chew tobacco, chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spit**

All four coaches agreed that they were done for the day after that performance. Even Harry couldn't find anything to nitpick, so they were going to go their separate ways.Lauren was eager to get away, one because she just wanted to be away from Harry and two because she wanted to go find the Latina singer that she had been thinking about for the last few days.

Lauren wandered around until she finally found Camila in a private studio, deep in thought, staring at her laptop screen. Lauren gently knocked on the door frame and Camila looked up, giving Lauren a large grin when she saw who it was.

"Hey Lo! How did your rehearsal go?" Lauren groaned. Camila took that as a 'not so good' sign and just gave her a sympathetic smile.

"Well, I'm sure it sounds good regardless, you're all such great singers. You ready to go?" Lauren nodded as she watched Camila pack up her laptop and grab her jacket.

The two walked out to the parking lot where Lauren had parked her Lexus. Camila admired the car as the two got in and Lauren started the engine. "You've got a really nice car." Lauren just shrugged.

"When you're a multi-Grammy winner, you can afford some of the nicer things in life I guess." Camila laughed, but couldn't help but feel a bit envious. Not exactly because of Lauren's wealth, partially that was it she guessed, but mostly because she was able to be so nonchalant about it.

Camila wasn't the worst off, but there had been some hard times in between gigs   
when she was barely making rent on her small apartment and that leads to sharing an apartment with her best friend.

"Anyways, enough about my nice car, what were you so deep in thought about earlier, if you don't mind me asking?" Camila shook her head to indicate she didn't mind sharing.

"I was just working on rewriting the music to a song. I have it halfway done, but I wanted to see what you thought of it." Camila said nervously.

She had been rewriting Wiz Khalifa's song See You Again. It was harder than she originally thought, because she had to basically rewrite all of the rap parts so she could sing it, but she had managed to struggle through it and thought she did a decent job at it.

"Yeah sure, it's a piano arrangement?" Camila nodded. "Cool, so you want to play it for me when we get to the studio?"

"Yeah, I'd like your take on it." Lauren was kind of excited to hear what Camila had managed to put together. She kind of just threw Camila into this without much help and she wanted to hear what the talented singer had done.

Lauren pulled up to her reserved parking space in front of the building and the two headed straight for the recording studio. While Lauren went to go fiddle with the recording equipment in case she decided to use them that day, Camila set up her laptop on the piano, as she had composed the new music electronically.

Then she sat down on the bench and warmed up her fingers, playing a few scales. The coach wandered over and sat down next to Camila, again the Latina noticing how close the two were sitting and a slight blush crept up her neck. Lauren looked at her expectantly.

"Whenever you're ready Camz."

Camila took a deep breath. 'Here goes nothing,' she thought.

**It's been a long day without you, my friend**   
**And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again**   
**We've come a long way from where we began**   
**Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I see you again**   
**When I see you again**

Lauren was very surprised at Camila's choice of song. She knew the singer wasn't well versed at rap, so picking a Wiz Khalifa song was a little shocking. But she had faith that Camila could pull this off, so she just continued to listen.

**Damn, who knew?**   
**All the planes we flew**   
**Good things we've been through**   
**That I'll be standing right here talking to you**   
**'Bout another path**   
**I know we loved to hit the road and laugh**   
**But something told me that it wouldn't last**   
**Had to switch up**   
**Look at things different, see the bigger picture**   
**Those were the days**   
**Hard work forever pays**   
**Now I see you in a better place (see you in a better place)**   
**How can we not talk about family when**   
**family's all that we got?**   
**Everything I went through you were standing there by my side**   
**And now you gon' be with me for the last ride**

Lauren's eyebrows shot up. She was seriously impressed with Camila's rewriting of the rap section of the song. She had managed to set it to a rock-ish pace and feel, and keep some of the driving force behind the section had it been rapped. But it wasn't rap, Camila was singing the section. Lauren hadn't expected this, and she was proud of Camila

**It's been a long day without you, my friend**   
**And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again (I see you again)**   
**We've come a long way (yeah, we came a long way)**   
**from where we began (you know we**   
**started)**   
**Oh, I'll tell you all about it when I'll see you**   
**again (let me tell you)**   
**When I'll see you again**

Bringing herself out of her initial surprise, Lauren decided to harmonize with Camila. And as she did, the Latina turned to Lauren and give her an excited smile. It warmed Lauren's heart to know that she caused the joy in the other singer's eyes. After the chorus, Camila stopped playing and looked at Lauren shyly.

"So, what did you think?"

"That was great Camila! Seriously, I'm   
impressed. I didn't really know what to expect, but that certainly wasn't it. Are you sure you've never done this before?"

Camila giggled and shook her head. She had never written a song, nevermind a rap section to a singing part, but her chest warmed and butterflies flutter on her stomach at Lauren's obvious pride at what Camila had produced. "Nope." She replied, popping the 'p.'

"Well, it doesn't show. You think you'd let me produce a track of this, between us of course." Camila's eyes widened. Lauren wanted to record her? Was she dreaming? Camila nodded vigorously in agreement and then threw her arms tightly around the older girl sitting on the piano bench next to her.

Lauren laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

"A thousand times yes!" Camila squealed   
excitedly.

"Good, because this is seriously amazing, I'd love to hear it professionally recorded. So, do you have the entire song done? Or just this part?"

"I only have this part concretely done. I've been working on the rest, and I have a general idea of how it'll go, but it's not all done yet." Camila replied, mind still reeling that she was going to get to record, even a personal track with Lauren.

"Well, tell you what, let me help you with the rest today, and if you want to come to the studio sometime this weekend we can record it?" Camila squealed again and Lauren just laughed at Camila's excitement.

Although deep down Lauren was over the moon that she'd get to spend recording time with the talented artist. And she hoped that she'd spend more time with the singer in the studio. That being said, the two started to pour over what Camila had already written and work together to make it a masterpiece.


	8. Are You Telling Me That I'm Special?

  
Lauren had gathered her team on set to talk to them about Knockouts. They were coming up soon, and she needed to tell them who they were pairing off with. Her and Normani had put together pairings that would challenge her team, both in vocals and performance ability.

Lauren wanted to use Knockouts as another round to weed out those contestants who weren't one hundred percent committed to their craft. Lauren could tell when an artist is really trying, and when an artist is just half assing their work, just for the sake of it. She had been around enough musicians as a producer to just know.

"Okay guys, I have here," Lauren brandished a sheet of paper, "the pairings for the Knockout Rounds. I'm sure most of you know how they work already, but I'll give you a refresher course in case some of the details have slipped your mind. You'll be paired up with one other person on our team. You will independently choose what song you are going to sing, and your partner will not know what you are singing until the filming of Knockouts when he or she performs. Order will be decided between you two, however if you can't come to an agreement, just flip a coin. After both of your performances, each of the coaches will give you critiques, and I will choose who stays. Simple, correct?"

Lauren took note of the nodding heads around the room. "Good, if you have questions, come see me at some point, either during a coaching session, or if you just catch me at a free minute. I'm going to read off your pairs, so you know who you'll be facing off against. Again, you're not going to have to work as closely with your partner as you did for the Battle Rounds, as this is an independent performance. You'll most likely be working with me, your voice coaches and whomever else you need to prepare." Lauren started rattling off names of pairs.

Camila had been zoning out slightly during Lauren's whole speech about the Knockout Rounds. She was actually thinking about what she wanted to sing. She obviously wanted to pick a song that she was feeling emotionally attached too, but at the same time, she didn't want to be horribly obvious about her feelings, especially those towards Lauren.

Camila knew there were some talented performers on Lauren's team and she wasn't going to let Lauren down. She knew that Lauren is proud of her as a performer and she is determined to prove that Lauren's pride wasn't misplaced.The Latina had been fortunate enough to be saved from elimination after Battle Rounds, and while she was confident about her abilities, she wasn't going to take her position on the show for granted. She was incredibly lucky to still be here, and she'd be damned if she got knocked out for a second time, especially right after her loss to Louis. But to be honest, Camila wasn't even really that mad about it. After all, it had landed her on Lauren's team.

Granted Camila could have chosen Lauren in the first place, but choosing Harry had seemed like a good idea at the time and Camila still respected what Harry had taught her. But after actually spending time with Lauren, Camila felt as though she hadn't just gained a mentor, but she had also gained a friend as well. Camila still didn't have many friends on the show. She have Lauren of course, but that was a strange friendship. She was friends enough with Harry, but being on Lauren's team did strain what little of a relationship the two had.

Camila had no idea what went on between Lauren and Harry to cause such a rivalry, and while she was curious, she was respectful of both coaches' privacy on the matter.

As for contestants, she was really only friends with Ally. The tiny woman was extremely friendly and happy to practice and spend time with Camila on set, despite the two being from opposing teams. Camila could see herself keeping in contact with Ally after the show was over. Beyond Ally however, Camila only knew people in passing. She's in friendly terms with Bea, Liam, and Zayn, but she didn't exactly consider them friends. And of course there was Louis. Camila didn't really hold a grudge against him, and he was a nice guy, if a little egotistical.

From what she noted, Louis seemed to monopolize a lot of Harry's time, and it made her wonder if Harry had already picked out her team member that she thought had the best potential to make it to the finals. And maybe if Camila thought more about it, she'd notice that Lauren was doing much the same with her. But before she could get that far, Lauren called out her name.

"Camila Cabello and Austin Mahone" Camila raised an eyebrow before looking over at the big headed jerk himself. Camila hadn't really heard him sing before, but from what she had heard through the grapevine he was a talented person.

Austin stared back at Camila, giving her a wink and a smirk. Camila cringed a little before turning her attention back to Lauren.

"Okay guys, that's it for today, you've all got your pairings. Now it's up to you to prepare the rest. Just make sure you let me know soon who is going to sing first and second so I can let the show's crew know."

Lauren's team slowly went their separate ways, but Austin made his way over to Camila.

"So I've made an executive decision to go first."

Camila just shrugged, she didn't really care in what order they went.

"Fine by me."

"Good, prepare to actually get booted off this show Camilla, I doubt a coach would save you again."

Camila seethed internally a little bit, but she wasn't going to let some egotistical   
garbage dick get to her.

"Its Camila and don't flatter yourself Mahone. I won't need the save this time." Camila flipped him off and stalked off, leaving Austin to call after her.

"Hey, I'm only speaking the truth, no need to get your panties in a wad." Camila just rolled her eyes at the desperate comeback and kept walking.

-

While Lauren was preoccupied with other coach duties, Camila sat alone in one of the big comfy chairs that were scattered around the set, laptop sitting on her thighs. Knowing that she was going to be going against that jerk Austin Mahone had set a fire behind Camila's eyes.

She's determined, not only to beat him, but beat him badly. She didn't know much about his skill set besides his apparently good voice. But his skills in writing and singing covers, his performance value, she didn't know any of that. So she just figured she'd bring her A game and bank on it being better than whatever Austin could pull out of his ass.

The Latina was currently just scrolling through her iTunes library, searching for what could be the perfect song. She easily passed up songs that she wasn't particularly attached to, because she wanted the song to have a meaning. Music, good music, came from the heart. And if she wasn't feeling it, she wouldn't perform it the best she could. While she was searching, she heard someone sit down in a chair next to her, but she was so focused in her search, she didn't bother to look up to see who it was. She just waited for whomever it was to start talking to her, if that was indeed the purpose of sitting next to her. She was surprised by the voice.

"How have you been Camila? Seems like a while since we last spoke."

Camila looked up and saw Harry sitting in the chair next to hers. She was a little surprised that the guy had just decided to strike up a seemingly random conversation with her.

"I've been good. I'd like to think my skills are improving tenfold." Harry lightly grunted.

"With Jauregui as a coach? You must be a tougher person than I originally thought." Camila was a little offended at that statement and got a little defensive of Lauren.

"Hey, Lauren is a great coach. I've learned a lot." Harry raised his hands in surrender, deciding not to push the Latina. He wasn't here to start an argument over the producer.

"Okay okay, well I'm at least glad you've been getting better. You are a strong pick, even when you were back on my team. I hated to pick between you and Louis, I hope you know that. Harry said sincerely. Camila just nodded.

"No, I get it, what matters is that I'm still here I suppose. No offense intended, but I think Lauren is more the coaching style for me, if I'm brutally honest." Camila was a little nervous in wake of Harry's reaction to her confession, but she didn't want to bullshit the guy. Harry just nodded slightly.

"Well, I'm glad her coaching style works for some people." Camila could hear the slight disdain for Lauren dripping from Harry's voice and she couldn't help what she blurted out.

"Why are you two such bitter rivals?" Camila questioned, before her hand flew to her mouth, embarrassed about her word vomit.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry. That was a totally inappropriate question. Don't answer that." Harry chuckled a little at Camila's embarrassment, but then sighed.

"Lauren and I.. We have a long and bitter history that ended on less than friendly terms. I don't think our.. relationship for lack of a better word, ended on a note that either of us intended, but we're both too stubborn to confront the other about it." Camila was a little shocked at Harry's forthcomingness. She hadn't expected Harry to admit that to her. In fact she had expected the guy to get angry at her for bringing up Lauren.

"Oh, well.." Camila wasn't sure what to say. Thankfully, Harry cut her off before she had to put her foot in her mouth again.

"What's done is done however. Neither of us is willing to fix whatever it is we ever had. And don't think that will change. I think we'd both just rather forget what happened. And I can't speak for Lauren, but at least for me, it's been hard working with her on The Voice."

"Then why do it? I'm sure you both knew the other would be a coach?" Camila again, had a case of word vomit. She had no idea what was wrong with her, perhaps she was interested in whatever happened between the two. Harry, despite his hatred towards Lauren, was a window into the producer's past. A past that Camila is deeply interested in. But despite this, she still groaned at the words that came out of her mouth and face-palmed.

"Because we're both stubborn. As much as I dislike Lauren, I know her. We both weren't going to let the other get in the way of something that we really wanted to do. Lauren and I both had connections into the industry, we had mentors. I, at least, wanted to give back what I had once received. And I'd imagine that Lauren thought the same." Camila nodded, she could understand where Harry was coming from. "Anyways, enough about me and Lauren. If she hasn't shared any of this with you, I'd assume that she wants to forget as much as I do." Camila looked at Harry, apologetically.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up. Sometimes my mouth works before my brain."

"It's fine Camila. You didn't know, its not your fault you're curious. Anyways, I just stopped by to say hi before my next session. We might not have been together for that long, but you still were once one of my protegé. I'm looking forward to seeing you at Knockouts." Harry patting Camila on the shoulder before standing and walking   
off again.

The singer sighed, digesting this new information about Harry and Lauren's history. It almost made her predicament worse. She was dying to ask Lauren about it, but she figured that the producer wouldn't be as forthcoming with information as Harry had been. She didn't want to offend one of the few friends she had on set. Especially Lauren.

So for now, Camila was going to store that information. Maybe at some point she could ask Lauren about it, but now was definitely not that time. With that in mind, Camila went back to searching for the perfect song.

-

"I think that you should see one of the voice coaches and have them work on your low notes. You've got a good high range, but I know you can hit some of the lower notes perfectly with a little work." Keaton nodded and turned to leave.

"Oh, and Keaton, good job today. Looking forward to your performance at Knockouts."

"Thanks Lauren. Can't wait." He replied before exiting the studio in search of a voice coach.

Lauren relaxed back in her chair. Keaton was her last session for the day. She was looking forward to the rest of her afternoon, because she was finally going to put Camila in the recording booth to record the singer's version of See You Again. The pair had been working at perfecting the arrangement for the last few days and Lauren was honestly still impressed with Camila.

She had ideas for parts of the arrangement that Lauren would never had thought of, but they sounded just as good, if not better than something the producer would have come up with herself. She was excited to bring Camila back to the recording studio to get started on putting together a track.

Lauren had to admit, she did have a few ulterior motives for offering to produce a track of the song. One big plus was that she got to spend time alone with the Latina. She really did enjoy Camila's company. The two of them just clicked and got along famously. And for another, she wanted to subtly help Camila's career along. Lauren knew that Camila could win the entire show. But it would be foolish to believe it was in the bag. Lauren didn't know if she was going to keep contact with Camila after the show was over, she hoped, but didn't know.

If all Camila got from their friendship was one hell of a demo track to send to producers, well, who was she to stand in the way of that. Even though Lauren internally knew that Camila wouldn't just drop her after the show was over, she couldn't help but still be nervous about it. She had enough people walk out on her early in her life. Which was one of the main reasons she was so reluctant to open up to many people.

Once they knew her and she got attached, Lauren held on tight. She had already done that with Camila and Lauren knew if they got any closer, it would break her if Camila just left. She may be a big shot music producer, but she still had feelings just like any other person. She had her vulnerabilities.

Lauren never had a friend like that. Sure, as a teenager and even into young adulthood, she had a few friends walk out on her for various reasons, but she eventually got over those after a while. But knowing that Camila breaking off their friendship could break her? That was new for Lauren, she guarded herself carefully, and Camila had basically demolished those walls. It was scary, and yet exhilarating to Lauren. As hard as it was for her, she just had to trust that Camila wouldn't give up on their friendship after The Voice ended.

Pushing those thoughts to the side, Lauren packed up her stuff and went in search for Camila. The contestant is still on the same chair she had been all morning. Lauren thought she might surprise the woman, so she crept up behind the latina, who was so engrossed in her laptop, that she didn't notice anything going on around her.

"Boo!" Lauren yelled as she almost slapped her hands onto Camila's shoulders. The lady in question jumped and yelped, before turning around. Seeing who it was, she glared.

"Lauren! That wasn't funny!" She pouted as Lauren laughed at the cute expression on her friend's face.

'Wait, cute?'

"I, m'lady, beg to differ. Anyways, are you ready to head out?" Camila pretended to ponder Lauren's question.

"I don't know. I mean, is it safe to go with someone who just sneaks up behind people to scare them?" Lauren sighed.

"Alright Camzi, I'm sorry. Can we please go?" Camila snickered.

"Only because you asked so nicely. I am going to get you back for this though." Lauren raised an eyebrow.

"You sure about that Cabello?" She said, with a hint of challenge.

"Yup. I can now scare you whenever I want, so better watch your back" Camila said simply as she shut off her laptop and follow Lauren out to her car.

Once the two were comfortably situated and Lauren pulled out of the set parking lot, Camila turned to Lauren.

"So, how was your coaching sessions?" Lauren shrugged.

"Nothing that special. Just the usual I suppose."

"What exactly is the usual?" Lauren paused. She supposed Camila didn't really know what the usual coaching session was like. Nothing about her time with Camila was usual.

"Well, I meet with the singer, we talk for a little bit about what they want to work on, and what they've been doing so far. Then we get to the actual music. Depends on the person, because you're all at different skill levels and have different ranges of talents. Sometimes it's vocal exercises, sometimes it's performances tweaks, it really just depends."

"Oh, that sounds.. riveting." Camila made a face.

And Lauren laughed.

"I suppose, but not everyone is on the same level as you Camz." Camila smirked.

"Are you telling me that I'm special, Ms. Jauregui?" Lauren felt a light blush creeping up her neck, before scoffing.

"You don't think I bring everyone back to my personal studio, do you?" Camila's eyes gleamed and took the open opportunity.

"You never know, maybe you're just trying to get me alone so you can have your way with me." Lauren almost choked on her own spit. She wasn't prepared for Camila's blatant flirtatiousness and frankly, Lauren didn't really know how to respond.

"I.. I mean.. wait, what?"

Camila laughed nervously, hoping she hadn't crossed a line.

"I'm just pulling on your chain Lauren, don't worry."

The two laughed it off as they pulled into Lauren's parking spot in front of the studio. The two walked through the reception area, both of them warmly greeting Elise before heading up.

Once they were in the studio, Lauren started setting up her equipment, as Camila set down all her stuff. She was a little nervous to be in front of a microphone. They had recorded the piano track the other day, and now Camila just needed to record the vocals and Lauren would work her production magic.

The Latina had obviously sang in front of Lauren before, but this time Lauren was kind of her producer. She felt a new sense of need to impress the woman. To prove that she belonged behind a mic.

"Alright Camz, I'm assuming you haven't had much experience in a recording booth, if any at all?" Camila shook her head.

"Nope, none whatsoever." Lauren nodded.

"Alright, well when you get in there, just put the headphones on and I'll talk you through it. Please don't touch the mic though."

"Okay." Camila replied as she opened the door to the recording booth and put the Beats headphones over her ears. She watched Lauren fiddle with a few knobs on her mixing board, before pushing the intercom button.

"Alright Camila, so I'm just going to play the track and you should hear it through your headphones. Just sing along like we've done at the piano. Don't worry about getting it perfect the first time. Just get a feel for everything, okay?" Camila nodded in acknowledgement as Lauren took her finger off the intercom button.

Lauren pressed play on the stereo as she heard the familiar tune the two had been working on for the past few days. Camila, on the other hand, felt nervous for the intro, but once it was her turn to sing, she felt all of that worry melt away and give way to confidence.

It's been a long day without you my friend   
And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again   
We've come a long way from where we began   
Oh I'll tell you all about it when I see you again   
when I see you again

Camila made her way through the song, and when the music ended, she let out a sigh of relief. She had gotten through her first time behind a microphone in a recording booth. She was actually excited about that. This was a big milestone for her. Granted, it was more for fun than work, but she was still glad that she had that chance. And she was also over the moon that it was Lauren that she was sharing this moment with.

"That sounded good for a first try Camz." Lauren gave Camila the thumbs up. "You ready to go again?" Camila nodded and the producer pressed play again.


	9. Knockout Round

Lauren is sitting in front of her desk in her apartment, staring at her computer monitor.

Frustrated, she started playing with her hair, a habit she had picked up as a teenager. She had Camila's vocals and piano track in front of her and she was currently working on producing them into a killer track. She couldn't help but think there was something missing. Camila had put together a beautifully arranged piece, but there was something that it needed. A little extra kick.

An idea suddenly popped into her head.She picked her guitar up off the stand next to the desk and plugged it into her equipment. Setting up her desk mic with the pop filter, she pressed the playback button on Camila's track and hit record.

-

It had been a week since Lauren and Camila had been in the recording booth, and a few days since Camila had seen Lauren. Or at least talked to the coach. Lauren had been busy working with her team on Knockouts, since they would begin filming in a few days.

Camila had chosen the track she was going to sing the night after she had been in the studio, recording with Lauren. That was a special night for her, and she was feeling particularly inspired. So as soon as she had gotten back to her shared apartment, she had cracked open her laptop and found the perfect song. Scrolling through her iTunes library again, starting from the top, she had found what she was looking for. A song she connected to, a song that she wanted to sing. She couldn't believe she had passed it over the first time. But now looking at it, she knew it was the one. It described her feelings perfectly, but didn't give too much away. At least, not in a way that made it overtly obvious.

Camila wanted to keep her song a surprise though. And the next day when she saw Lauren, she told her as much. Lauren was initially a little apprehensive about not knowing what the contestant would sing.

"Please Lo? I can do this. I just want it to be a surprise."

"I don't know Camila. I mean, I'm your coach, I should be helping you through this." Camila sighed.

"I know, but just trust me. You said it yourself that I have a talent. I'm not going to need much in the way of stage stuff, just a few low lights and a microphone." Camila said with puppy dog eyes and a pout.

'And maybe a piano.' She added on in her thoughts.

"Why are you so invested in your song being a surprise?" Camila had been expecting that question, but even so, she hadn't really prepared a good answer.

"I.." Camila faltered, but decided to tell Lauren the truth, to a degree at least. "I'm going to be honest with you Lauren."

'Well as honest as I can be without admitting I have a huge crush on you,' the Latina thought to herself.

"I want to prove to everyone that I belong here. I'm lucky you saved me." Camila noticed Lauren was going to cut her off in protest, but she spoke quickly as to not give her time.

"And I know what you're going to say. That I deserve to be here, and maybe I know that too, deep down. But I want to show you, the world and maybe most importantly, myself, that I can do it. That I really deserve it. You've given me a lot while I've been here Lauren. And I appreciate every minute of it, maybe more than you realize. All I'm asking is that you trust in what you've given me." Camila finished quietly.

She waited for Lauren's answer. She could see the indecision in her eyes, but she also saw a softness behind them that she hadn't seen in Lauren before.

"Okay." The coach relented. Camila grinned widely before throwing her arms around Lauren, hugging the older girl tightly. Lauren wrapped her arms around Camila's waist and smiled at her.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you! I won't let you down!" Camila squealed. While she had known that she could probably convince Lauren to let her song be a surprise, it was different actually hearing Lauren agree to it.

"You are going to have to get another coach to clear your song though. Everyone's songs needs a coach's permission, mainly because we need to clear the song to make sure the song is appropriate and the artist doesn't have objections."

Camila nodded, she figured she could probably coerce Harry into signing off on her song. She just hugged Lauren tighter before the mentor's insistence of her need for air made Camila let go.

"Don't make me regret this Cabello." Lauren said playfully.

"You won't Lolo!" Camila said before running off in search of the other coach.

She wanted to get her song approved as soon as possible, so she could start planning her stage setup and really get to work on her arrangement. She had a rough idea, but she needed to fine tune it before she was ready for Knockouts.

Lauren watched the happy Latina run off, shaking her head in amusement at her excitement.

After a little bit of searching, Camila finally managed to track down Harry. And luckily for her, the guy was in between sessions, so she knocked on the studio door before entering. Harryy looked at Camila, confused as to why she was there, but invited her in anyways.

"Harry, can I talk to you about something quickly?" The said guy nodded and gestured for Camila to take a seat.

"What is it Mila? Not to be rude, but I don't have a lot of time until my next session, so it'll have to be quick." Camila took a breath.

"Will you clear my song for the Knockouts?" Harry shot Camila a confused look.

"Why can't Lauren do it?" The Latina sighed.

"I wanted to surprise her with it." Harry furrowed his brow.

"How come?" Such a simple question with such a complicated answer.

"I just.. I want to prove myself to her. She's been helping me a lot, and to be truthful, I've noticed she spends a lot more time with me than some of the other people on our team." Harry found that piece of information interesting and stored that for later. "I wanted to surprise her with my song for Knockouts. To prove that I can utilize what she's given me without help."

Harry was a little shocked at Camila's admission. He had never met somebody who was that invested in their craft this early in their career. Most artists at Camila's age would take all the help they could get, especially in her position, with all the resources she had available. Harry had to admire the conviction he saw in Camila. Learning was one thing, but using learnt knowledge was another.

"You know, if it had been anyone else, I probably would say no. But I can see how much this means to you Mila." Harry pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Camila.

"Fill this out, and I'll make sure your song gets taken care of." Camila looked at Harry gratefully. She had expected it to be a little harder to convince Harry, but she was glad that it wasn't.

She grabbed a pen out of her bag and looked over the sheet Harry had given her. It was a simple form. It asked her name, song choice, any extra props or what not she would need, and had a place to schedule a time to work with the stage crew, to talk with them about what she wanted during her performance, then at the bottom was a line for her signature, the date, and a coach's signature.

Camila filled the form out quickly. She wasn't going to need much for her song; she wanted some of the lights on stage to be dimly lit to provide the right atmosphere, but she wasn't going for anything flashy. She's also going to need a piano. If she was going to be arranging her own music, she might as well play it as well.

She figured it might be unwise to throw her piano abilities out there so soon, but if she moved on, she would be in the Live Playoffs, and she didn't know if she wanted her first time playing piano on the show to be live. She handed the form back to Harry, who looked it over quickly. Smiling at Camila's choice of song, he nodded.

"I can tell you right now, without even looking to clear the song, that it'll be fine. I'm pretty sure someone sang this for Blinds." Camila nodded, a little nervous that her song had been performed once on the show already. But she didn't let it get to her too much. It was going to be a different singer, a different arrangement, everything.

"Thank you so much for this Harry." The coach just nodded.

"No problem. Good luck with Knockouts. I'll look forward to hearing you sing. You know, haven't actually heard you since Battle Rounds. I'm interested to see what Jauregui has taught you." Camila smirked.

"I'll be sure to impress you." The pair laughed before there was a knock at the door.

Bea poked her head in the door. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Harry shook her head. "Nope, Camila was just leaving. Sorry to cut our conversation short, but my next session is here Camila. I'll see you later?"

Camila nodded before getting up to leave, letting Harry get back to coaching. A weight being lifted off her shoulders. She was going to be able to surprise Lauren with her song. Now she just needed to get to arranging and practicing it out of earshot   
of the producer.

Although they both knew that Camila wanted to surprise Lauren, and Lauren had been preoccupied with other contestants who were at different levels of stress about Knockouts, both women missed the other.

They had become accustomed to seeing each other at least a few days each week, usually alone in Lauren's studio. But with Camila throwing herself into work for Knockouts and having to avoid Lauren during that time, it made things a little difficult for her.

She had met with the stage crew a couple days before filming began for Knockouts, and they promised that the stage would be perfectly the way she wanted it. She didn't need too much for her performance. A white grand piano would be wheeled onto the stage when Austin had finished his number, a microphone would be set up on the piano, and there would be some golden back-lighting with a soft white spot light.

She knew this was going to be perfect setup and was going to blow Austin's ass right out of the water. Not to mention impress Lauren, she hoped at least. Camila hoped to God that it wasn't going to come across to Lauren as romantic, even if that might be the way she was intending it subconsciously.

Ever since their recording session, and her insistence at surprising Lauren with her song for Knockouts, she was starting less and less to believe the excuse she had been spouting to anyone who asked. She wasn't doing this to prove that she belonged. She was doing this to impress Lauren. She wanted, as stupid as it might be, for Lauren to notice her. The producer with her snarky and sarcastic attitude had been wearing her resolve down for the last few weeks. She didn't want to just be friends with Lauren. And at this point, she was seriously considering just going all out.

What did she really have to lose?

Camila shook her head. The lack of focus on anything but her Knockout performance must have been getting to her brain, the logical part of it in particular. She had a lot to lose if she attempted to flirt with Lauren and didn't return her feelings. It would make the rest of the show awkward, to be around Lauren. Not to mention it would make their friendship awkward, and at this point, her friendship with Lauren was one of the things she cherished the most.

The real question, Camila figured, was the possibility of trying to start something with Lauren worth the risk if they didn't work out and if they did work out, what did that mean for her career? It was time to start filming Knockouts. Adam's team was up first, then Harry, followed by Lauren, then Blake. And within their team slots, all the pairs were assigned a number corresponding to the order in which each pair would go.

Camila and Austin had managed to grab themselves the number three spot, so they had a little time to prepare. Not to mention they had time to watch other pairs perform and take note of who they might be going up against in the future.

There was going to be two days of straight filming for Knockouts, Adam and Harry's teams the first, then Lauren and Blake's team the second. So while some contestants took the time while others were filming to do last minute practice, Camila decided to join the large studio audience to watch some of the others.

She was particularly interested to see Ally perform. The two had formed a close friendship in their time on set. She often sought out the short girl for practice time and advice. Sometimes the pair just took a break to hang out with each other. Besides Lauren, Ally had become Camila's best friend on set. As Ally and her partner Jason were up, Camila started paying closer attention, not wanting to miss a minute of her friend's performance.

"Next up, for Team Adam, singing Sweet Dreams by Beyoncé, Ally Brooke Hernandez!" Camila clapped and cheered as the lights dimmed.

The familiar music of the Beyoncé song played loudly as somewhere from backstage, Ally started her performance.

**(Turn the lights on!)**

The crowd cheering, Ally walked out on stage, a smirk plastered on her face, sassy gleam in her eyes. Camila noted then and there how talented her friend truly was. Ally was brimming with confidence and to Camila's amusement, sex appeal. She couldn't imagine her bubbly friend like this, whenever they talk, Ally is always goofing and joking around, she's like the older sister that she's never gotten. The older woman really know how to work an audience.

**Every night I rush to my bed**   
**With hopes that maybe I'll get a chance to see**   
**you when I close my eyes**   
**I'm going outta my head**   
**Lost in a fairy-tale**   
**Can you hold my hands and be my guide?**   
**Clouds filled with stars cover your skies**   
**And I hope it rains**   
**You're the perfect lullaby**   
**What kind of dream is this?**

Ally had a headset mic on, and as she worked the crowd, dancing to the lyrics of the music. Camila watched as she drew them in. The singer had a rare gift for looking sexy, yet still completely classy. Add in the natural power and sass that you got with singing anything from Beyonce, and Camila knew that Jason didn't stand a chance against the bubbly powerhouse.

**You can be a sweet dream or a beautiful**   
**nightmare**   
**Either way I, don't wanna wake up from you**   
**(Turn the lights on!)**   
**Sweet dream or a beautiful nightmare**   
**Somebody pinch me, your loves too good to be true**   
**(Turn the lights on!)**

As she got to the chorus, the stage was lit up in bright lights and sparks, pumping the energy in the room up tenfold. Camila could feel the buzz and hype around the room. The Latina was almost intimidated by Ally and knew that she is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

**My guilty pleasure I ain't goin nowhere**   
**Baby, long as you're here**   
**I'll be floating on air cause you're my, you're**   
**my...**   
**You can be a sweet dream or a beautiful**   
**nightmare**   
**Either way I, don't wanna wake up from you**

Camila watched her friend as she performed the rest of her song. Camila briefly caught sight of Jason, mouth wide open. She saw the expression of 'shit I'm fucked' on his face. She had to stop herself from laughing at the poor boy.

As Ally closed her performance, she bowed and then blew the audience a kiss and winked at them. Camila laughed at her friend's finisher as Ally walked off stage.

"Wow, that was some performance, wasn't it ladies and gentlemen?" Carson announced as the crowd cheered louder for Ally.

"Up next, facing off against Ally, singing Kings and Queens by 30 Seconds to Mars, we have Jason Arky!" The crowd cheered for the singer, as he walked to the stage.

The nervousness, Camila thought at least, was still apparent behind his eyes, but he tried to give off an aura of confidence as Ally had.

Camila didn't pay nearly as much attention to his performance, although she did note that he's got a nice voice.

**We were the kings and queens of promise**   
**We were the victims of ourselves**   
**Maybe the children of a lesser God**   
**Between Heaven and Hell.**

It took a talented singer to pull of a 30 Seconds to Mars song and not sound horrible. But Camila had to admit that Jason did. She supposed there was a reason he was here in the first place. He wouldn't have made the show if he wasn't good. Jason had a good voice for alternative rock, but Camila thought that Ally had done better. Maybe she was just biased, or maybe she just wasn't paying as much attention to Jason's performance.

But whatever it was, it seemed as though the judges agreed with her. Ally was going to be moving on to Live Playoffs. Camila took the time to make her way out of the audience and run backstage to congratulate her friend.

"You did it!" Camila squealed, grabbing Ally's arms as she bobbed up and down. Ally grinned at her excited friend.

"Yeah! I did, didn't I? The coaches seemed impressed with my performance. Called me a 'performance powerhouse.' or something."

"You are though Ally. You did great." Ally nodded.

"I'm sure you'll do just as good, if not better. You're a natural on stage, and you've got a great voice." Camila blushed a little at the compliment.

"Thanks, I hope so. I haven't actually performed my song in front of Lauren yet, so I'm hoping she'll like it." Ally raised an eyebrow.

She was suspicious of Camila's true feelings for Lauren for a while, but the vulnerability in Camila's voice confirmed her thoughts.

"This means a lot more to you than just moving on to Playoffs doesn't it?" Camila pursed her lips together, debating what to tell Ally. She figured that her friend is trustworthy enough to admit her feelings to.

"Look, I don't really want to talk about it here, but yes." Ally looked at Camila in the eye and smiled.

"Well, l"m sure she'll like it." Camila smiled.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Ally."

"What are friends for?"

-

The next day, Lauren and Blake's teams were up. Camila is feeling a mixture of nervousness and excitement for the day.

On one hand, she was confident in her abilities and her arrangement. But on the other hand, she would be performing this in front of Lauren. Camila had made up her mind to test the waters between Lauren and herself. It had been a decision she hadn't made lightly, and went back and forth in her mind for days. But she decided to loosen the leash on her feelings a little bit and see where it took them. She just hoped she didn't mess things up between Lauren and herself. She's going to be devastated if Lauren only wanted to be friends. Or worse, if she couldn't stand being around Camila because of her feelings.

Camila is standing on backstage, waiting for the pair before them to finish up, when Austin approached her.

"You ready to lose Camilla?" he said with an air of arrogance to his tone.

"Its Cameeeela and In your dreams." Camila said dragging out her name as if she is talking to a 5 year old child and scoffed. She's going to wipe off Austin's smug butt right off the show.

As the other pair who had gone before them walked off stage, Austin threw Camila one last smirk.

"Looks like that's my que. Enjoy your last few minutes of fame." Camila just rolled her eyes as Carson announced him.

"And now, from Team Lauren, singing Blurred Lines by Robin Thicke, Austin Mahone!" Camila was somewhat disgusted by Austin's choice of song.

Leave it to a dickhead to sing that song. It was a catchy tune, and most people didn't think about the meaning, but Camila did.

And she couldn't say she approved. Not that her opinion really mattered.

**If you can't hear what I'm trying to say**   
**If you can't read from the same page**   
**Maybe I'm going deaf**   
**Maybe I'm going blind**   
**Maybe I'm out of my mind**

Seemed like Austin was leaving Pharrell's part in the song to backup vocalists. While Camila had to begrudgingly admit Austin was talented, she didn't really feel threatened by him. When she got her chance to show him up, listening to him sing this song would all be worth it.

**Ok, now he was close**   
**Tried to domesticate you**   
**But you're an animal**   
**Baby, it's in your nature**   
**Just let me liberate you**   
**You don't need no papers**   
**That man is not your maker**   
**And that's why I'm gon' take a**

Austin had bright lights going behind him, and he was trying to get the audience and coaches interested in him. Although, from what Camila observed, Harry wasn't too impressed by his song choice either. Adam and Blake had the tact to just observe and watch. And Lauren almost looked bored. The singer is slightly amused by the look in Lauren's face. To anyone who didn't know her, it would look like she's just quietly watching. But to Camila, Lauren had a look on her face that signified that she was feigning paying attention, but she was really a little checked out.

**Good girl**   
**I know you want it**   
**I know you want it**   
**I know you want it**   
**You're a good girl**   
**Can't let it get past me**   
**You're far from plastic**   
**Talk about getting blasted**   
**I hate these blurred lines**

It was almost painful for Camila to watch Austin's performance. She rolled her eyes at the man's ego. It was apparent that he really took to the song and believed that he was God's gift to the world of women. Camila took the rest of the time to calm herself down and mentally prepare herself for what she was about to do.

When Austin's song was over, the crowd cheered and clapped for the guy as he bowed and walked off stage. As he passed Camila, he briefly stopped.

"Don't worry Camilla, you're going to be awesome..ly horrible. I hate you, kill yourself." Camila's jaw dropped at Austins' comment.The man just smirked and pumped his fist in the air. "Girl power!" He said mockingly.

"How many times do I have to tell you that its Cameeeela, but whatever Mahone. Willing to put your money where your mouth is?" And without waiting for an answer, she walked away from him, taking her place backstage. A white piano had been rolled out onto the stage, and the lights dimmed.

Camila had opted to wear a red dress that hung off of one shoulder. She was happy to see a vase of red roses that sat on the top of the piano, an accent to compliment her outfit.

"And now, singing Just The Way You Are by Bruno Mars, Camila Cabello!" The crowd cheered and hollered.

As Camila walked onto the stage confidently, her eyes flicked down towards Lauren and she noticed the coach clapping, but she also picked up the slight widening of Lauren's eyes as she took in the Latina's appearance.

Sitting down at the piano bench, Camila tuned everything else out. Placing her hands on ivory keys, Camila took a deep breath. She had worked hard on this arrangement, and now everyone was going to hear it. Playing over the intro, she felt the heat of the lights on her and a quiet descended over the audience.

**Oh, her eyes, her eyes**   
**Make the stars look like they're not shinin'**   
**her hair, her hair**   
**Falls perfectly without her trying**   
**She's so beautiful**   
**And I tell her everyday**   
**Yeah**

Down in the coach's chair, Lauren was stunned. When Camila said she wanted to surprise her with her song choice, she hadn't expected this. She had truly gone all out. Her setup of the stage was beautiful, from what Lauren had picked up from the arrangement so far, Camila had done an amazing job. And maybe what was more, the said singer looked gorgeous. Lauren had to check herself, to see that she wasn't drooling. Camila is making it harder and harder to find reasons that Lauren shouldn't just pursue the woman.

**I know, I know**   
**When I compliment her she won't believe me**   
**And it's so, it's so**   
**Sad to think that she don't see what I see**   
**But every time she asks me, "Do I look okay?"**   
**I say,**

It was going to be a hands down easy decision for Lauren. Austin is talented, but he didn't hold a candle to Camila. Lauren, for the first time, felt like being biased in her judgement of music. But only slightly. There was no argument that Camila was flat out better, but to Lauren, Camila's voice sounded like the voice of an angel.

**When I see your face**   
**There's not a thing that I would change**   
**"Cause you're amazing**   
**Just the way you are**   
**And when you smile**   
**The whole world stops and stares for a while**   
**'Cause, girl, you're amazing**   
**Just the way you are**   
**Yeah**

Camila kept her focus on her singing. She was show casing her voice with this performance, not her ability to captivate an audience. However, she was doing a damn good job of it. The emotion and passion she poured into the song, if she had decided to look up, she would have noticed some of the audience members with tears in their eyes. All four coaches looked impressed with the singer. Harry smiled at the artist. She really had grown in the last few weeks. He glanced over to Lauren who was engrossed in Camila's performance. 'Lauren can't be all bad if she is that invested in Camila.' Harry thought to himself.

**Her lips, her lips**   
**I could kiss them all day if she'd let me**   
**Her laugh, her laugh**   
**She hates but I think it's so sexy**   
**She's so beautiful**   
**And I tell her everyday**

It did not escape Ally, who is sitting in the audience, watching her friend, that Camila had not changed the pronouns in the song. She had left it feminine. Ally smiled to herself, 'Man, Mila has got it bad.'

**Oh you know, you know, you know**   
**I'd never ask you to change**   
**If perfect's what you're searching for**   
**Then just stay the same**   
**So don't even bother asking if you look okay**   
**You know I'll say**

Camila took a minute to look out into the audience. They were still silent as she sang, but she saw the outlines of some arms swaying over heads, and took that as a good sign. She continued into the second chorus.

**When I see your face**   
**There's not a thing that I would change**   
**'Cause you're amazing**   
**Just the way you are**   
**And when you smile**   
**The whole world stops and stares for a while**   
**'Cause, girl, you're amazing**   
**Just the way you are**

Austin stood backstage, dumbfounded at Camila's performance, he knew he was in deep shit, he had underestimated the other singer, and now he's going to pay for it.

**The way you are**   
**The way you are**   
**Girl, you're amazing**   
**Just the way you are**   
**When I see your face**   
**There's not a thing that I would change**   
**'Cause you're amazing**   
**Just the way you are**   
**And when you smile**   
**The whole world stops and stares for a while**   
**'Cause, girl, you're amazing**   
**Just the way you are**   
**Yeah**

As Camila played the final note of her   
arrangement, the crowd burst out into applause. Camila stood from the piano bench and bowed. She noted Lauren and Harry both standing, applauding her. Lauren shot Camila a small, reassuring smile. As the lights of the stage brightened, Austin walked back on stage to stand next to Camila.

"Well coaches, that was one hell of a   
performance. I'll give you a minute to take this in Lauren, in the mean time, Adam, any thoughts?" The Maroon 5 front-man cleared his throat.

"Look, you're both talented singers. I think you both know that. Austin, you've got talent, and charisma. But sometimes you get ahead of yourself and don't perform to your potential. Camila, I knew from the beginning that you were a little firecracker. What you did tonight was special. You managed to captivate an audience without even trying. If the decision were mine I'd go with Camila." Camila's supporters in the crowd cheered.

"Thank you Adam." Carson commented.

"Harry?"

"I may be a little biased here, since Camila used to be on my team and I've only seen Austin's abilities on stage, but I'll be the first to admit that Camila has come a long way. It's apparent she's put a lot of work into this. Austin, you're also a talented person and you have a great voice. You had a good night tonight."

'Song choice was a little questionable,' he thought to himself though.

"You pumped up the audience, and that is a valuable skill in our industry. But it's not enough to be talented. I can't say what Lauren's taught you, but I haven't seen your performances really grow. I've seen more of the same." Camila almost felt bad for Austin. It really wasn't the guy's night. But it wasn't enough to really make her feel bad. Austin was an egotistical jerk that deserved what was coming to him.

"Alright, and Blake?"

"I agree with Adam on his comment about Camila. You are a little firecracker." The audience laughed, along with the said singer herself. "You have a passion and emotion about you that you don't see every day. Austin, I can see passion in you, and you have talent. You truly seem comfortable on stage, and there's something to be said for that."

"Lauren, the final decision is yours." Lauren had made up her mind ages ago.

"Look, I've worked with you both extensively. I know what you're both capable of. Camila, I'm proud of your arrangement. It was everything I hoped it would be." Camila felt a fluttering feeling in her stomach and a warmth in her chest.

"Austin, I have to agree with my fellow coaches. You're talented, but I haven't seen you truly grow. For you to progress in our world, you need to grow as a singer, a performer and an individual." Austin cast his eyes down, he knew what was coming, he knew on some level he deserved it for not taking Lauren's coaching advice as seriously as he should have and underestimated Camila.

"The winner of this round, is Camila Cabello."

The Latina squealed as the audience hooted and hollered, she turned to Austin and stuck her hand out to shake.

The male singer took it and shook it firmly. "I guess you showed me up, didn't you Cabello?"

Camila shrugged. "I suppose so."

Austin nodded his head in defeat. "Look, I underestimated you, and I got what was coming to me. Good luck in Live Playoffs."

Camila just smiled and nodded. The two didn't linger longer than that and both walked off stage. As Camila got backstage, Ally pulled her into a hug.

"I told you that you would do great!" She gushed. "That was a great arrangement! Did you notice Lauren nearly drooling over your outfit when you walked into the stage?" Camila was thrown a little bit at the sudden change of topic.

"What? No. Seriously?" Camila looked incredulously at her friend, who nodded vigorously.

"Oh totally! I think she had to pick her jaw up off the floor. She was just staring at you as you walked on." Camila blushed a little bit.

"I mean, I'm on her team."

"In more ways than one." Ally interrupted and Camila glared at her friend.

"Not what I meant. But I mean, it's her job to watch me." Ally just rolled her eyes.

"Not with the look she had on her face, no it's not. Listen to me, she's got the hots for you."

Camila raised an eyebrow. She didn't want to get ahead of herself and be hopeful for something that wasn't there. But was it possible? Did Lauren really return her feelings? There was only one way to find out. And Camila is determined to find out, now more than ever.

Camila didn't really pay much attention to the rest of the Knockouts. She watched a few of the people she's friends with perform, but nothing more than that. It had been a somewhat stressful couple of days, and all Camila wanted to do was relax. What Ally had told her was still eating away at her. Did Lauren see her as more than just a friend, or was she just proud to see her up on stage, doing what she did best? Camila wanted to be hopeful, but she didn't want to be let down at the end of the day.

The day was almost over, Knockouts finally done. Camila and Ally would be moving on to live Playoffs, along with some of their fellow artists. Louis, Bea, Hailee, Liam, Calum, Keaton and Zayn had all managed to move on as well. They weren't the only ones who did, but they were the ones that Camila knew. The rest of the contestants, the Latina didn't know very well, if at all.

Lauren went in search of Camila when the day was over. Surprising herself and Camila, Lauren was the one to wrap her arms around the singer first.

"You did an amazing job Camz."Lauren whispered to her as Camila brought her arms up around Lauren's neck. "I trusted you to do your thing, and you didn't let me down. I'm really proud of you." Camila felt tears coming to her eyes. Lauren's words of praise meant more to her than she realized they would. She had impressed Lauren Jauregui, and more and more Camila is coming to terms with the fact that was what she really wanted. Camila pulled back and smiled at Lauren.

"Thank you Laur. That means so much coming from you."

"You deserve it. You certainly proved to everyone that you belong here. The real question is, do you believe it yourself now?" Camila nodded her head.

"Yeah, I do." She wasn't lying.

"Good. Listen, I know it's a little late, but do you mind coming to my studio for a little bit tonight. There's something I want to show, you know. think you'll like it." Camila cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Uhm, sure. What's this about?" Lauren had a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"It's a surprise." Camila rolled her eyes playfully.

"Of course it is. Well, lead the way Jauregui." Lauren offered Camila her arm.

"After you m'lady." Camila giggled at Lauren's antics, but found the behaviour endearing. She is insanely curious about what is this about, but she trusts Lauren. If Lauren believed she'd like it, she'd believe her. Lauren trusted her, it was only fitting that she returned the sentiment. The pair walked out to Lauren's car, arms linked. What they didn't notice as they left together was a certain bubbly singer, smiling widely at the two as they got in Lauren's Lexus and took off.

"Take care of yourself Mila." Ally mumbled to herself. She just wanted her friend to be happy.

And if Lauren did that for her, well, who was she to judge?


	10. It's More Than Nothing

When they arrived at Lauren's recording studio, it was late in the evening, so the building was dark and locked up. The coach took her keys out and let the two of them into the building.

Heading up to Lauren's office, Camila fidgeted in the elevator. 

"Relax Camz." Lauren said, trying to comfort her. She noticed that Camila seemed nervous, and that was the last thing she wanted.

"I told you that you'd probably like this, so stop worrying." She said. 

"I know, I just.. I guess I'm still processing how Knockouts went, and then on top of this, my nerves are just acting up." Lauren placed a hand on Camila's shoulder.

"You did great at Knockouts. I was telling you the truth, I'm extremely proud of what you put together. It was a great piece." Lauren smile, reassuringly and Camila nodded slightly at Lauren's words. 

"Thanks." Before Lauren had a chance to respond, the doors slid open and the pair headed out of the elevator, towards Lauren's office. The producer opened the door and ushered Camila inside. She shut the door behind them and turned to see Camila, once again, staring out the window overlooking Los Angeles. Lauren walked up to take in the view, standing beside the singer.

"The city looks so different at night." Camila remarked. "I've never seen LA like this, in the darkness." Lauren understood what Camila was saying. When she had first seen a night skyline of the city of angels, she had been awestruck. 

In the dark of the night, it looked completely different. There was more of a beauty and peacefulness, like everything bad happening was asleep. 

"Yeah, it's a really beautiful sight." Lauren had wanted to add, 'Not as beautiful as you, of course.' but she bit her tongue and refrained from saying that. Shaking her head of that thought, she glanced over at Camila's face, smiling at her friend's mesmerized expression. The singer's bright brown eyes captivated Lauren. The wonder and amazement that those caramel eyes held warmed Lauren's heart. She loved this view of the city at night, but until now she had never really had someone to share it with.

However, remembering that she had brought Camila to her office for a reason, she placed a hand on Camila's arm, which was folded across her chest. Camila brought her attention to Lauren, who gestured for her to sit in one of the chairs near her desk, so she could see Lauren's computer screen.

As Camila sat down, Lauren pressed the power button on her computer and they waited for the machine to boot up. "Look, I know you've been wondering why I brought you here, especially late at night." Camila looked at Lauren curiously. 

"So you could get me all to yourself?" Camila stated suggestively, wiggling her eyebrows. Laurenwas caught between choking and laughing. A blush crept up her face as the Latina laughed at her expression. Turning to her computer, trying to hide her reaction, she plugged in a USB drive that she had put on her keychain. Opening the drive up, she immediately found what she was looking for. It was the only file on the drive. Clicking on it, the track she had been working on with Camila opened up.

"I finally finished your track actually. Although being here, alone with you is just a bonus." Camila's eyes lit up. "But there was.. something missing. I couldn't really put my finger on it until the other night." 

"What did you do?" Camila was curious what the producer had added. She was also over the moon that Lauren might have possibly just flirted back with her. She didn't want to get her hopes up, but she couldn't hide her excitement. She just hoped that Lauren associated it with excitement over the finished song, not her feelings towards the said woman.

"I just.." Lauren faltered. "Here, I think you should just listen to it." Camila nodded as Lauren hit play.

As the music filled her ears, Camila's smile grew wider and wider. In addition to her work on the piano, it sounded as though Lauren had added a guitar component to the song. She really liked how it sounded and thought that whoever had done the guitar part was very talented. It wasn't until the chorus where Camila picked up on Lauren's alto voice accompanying hers.

Actually listening to a recording of hers and Lauren's voice together was different than listening to them sing together. For the first time, Camila truly heard how well their voices melded together. It was that kind of harmony you didn't just get with anyone. Sure, artists could harmonize all the time, especially with enough practice. But Camila knew that sometimes there were those people that just connected with one another. The Latina felt like she was being a little sappy, but looking now at Lauren, she knew there was a connection that she had with Lauren that was more than just your average friend. 

Even if they amounted to nothing more than friends, Camila knew that Lauren was someone she always wanted in her life. And even if it broke her heart to just remain friends, if that's what she could get, that would be what she would take.

She turned her focus back to the track. Lauren had left the rap sections to Camila's solo voice, but joined in on the chorus' and the bridge. Lauren had done a brilliant job at editing and putting this whole piece together. When the track finished, Camila turned to Lauren, who had a sheepish look on her face.

"So, what do you think? I hope you don't mind that I added some stuff to the song." Lauren's voice faded out towards the end.

Without hesitation, Camila launched herself out of her chair, into Lauren's arms, burying her face in Lauren's hair. The shocked coach silently wrapped her arms around her friend. 

"It was great. No, it was more than great, it was beautiful. I loved it." She whispered in Lauren's ear, arms still tightly wrapped around the older girl. "I can't thank you enough for this. It means more to me than anything." Lauren's heart fluttered at Camila's words.

"It.. It was nothing." Lauren stammered, not exactly sure how to respond. Camila pulled her face back to look at Lauren, whose face was mere inches away from hers. Both females took a deep breath in as they looked into each other's eyes. 

"It was more than nothing and you know it." Lauren slowly nodded, not taking her eyes away from Camila. She should have been uncomfortable, someone's face this close to hers. And yet, Lauren wasn't. She couldn't be uncomfortable around Camila. Something about her just put Lauren at ease. The chemistry and sparks between the two was off the charts, but Lauren knew nothing could happen between them. Not now. Lauren wasn't going to be responsible for possibly wrecking Camila's career. She cared too much about her friend. She pulled her face back from Camila's and noticed the Latina's eyes drop slightly before looking back up at Lauren, grinning.

"I.. just wanted you to have a killer demo track. I believe in you Camz, really. Once you're done on the show, every producer in LA will Just want to eat you up." Camila's ears perked up. 

"Yourself included?" Camila raised an eyebrow.

"Are you crazy? I'd kill to have a record with you m'lady." Camila's heart clenched in happiness at Lauren's admission. She'd love nothing more than to do an album with Lauren. That was something that was on the top of Camila's bucket list, although she'd never imagine that would even be a possibility at any point in the future. But now, her hopes and dreams were just within reach. And she'd be damned if she let it slip through her fingers. 

"I'll hold you to that, Jauregui." Camila teased and Lauren just rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure you will Cabello. You do have a habit of getting what you want, don't you?" Camila, once again, took her opening to flirt with the coach, running her hand gently down the producer's arm. Lauren's skin broke out in goosebumps at the soft contact. She leaned in and whispered in Lauren's ear. 

"I have a knack for getting my way, yes." Lauren shivered at Camila's voice. As Camila pulled her face back, Lauren let out a deep breath.

"You are such a tease, you know that?" Camila giggled. 

"It's one of my many talents." The coach just huffed.

"I'm sure." Lauren reached over, with difficulty as Camila was still sitting, basically on her lap, and pulled the little, black USB out of the computer. Unhooking it from her keychain, she handed it to Camila.

"This is yours now." Camila felt her eyes water as Lauren held the USB drive out to her. She gingerly took it, as though if she touched it, it would turn to dust. She turned it over in her fingers. 

"Thank you, Lo." A tear ran down Camila's cheek. She sniffed and wiped it from her face. Lauren waited for Camila to continue, not exactly knowing how to deal with an emotional Camila Cabello.

"This means a lot to me, you know?"

"What do you mean?" Camila took a breath. 

"To have something that represents our friendship. Look, this was the first time I've really felt like I could be something great in this industry." Lauren was about to protest, before Camila shut her down.

"There's a lot of small artists running around LA, I'm sure you know that." Lauren nodded. She had once been one of those small artists. She knew. "Not all of us make it, in fact most don't. Music has always my passion, but being here, recording with a producer I've only dreamt of working with, it feels like it's not real. I mean, I know it is. Of course I do. But when I auditioned for The Voice, I saw it as an opportunity, to take my career to the next level. I'd never could have imagined that I'd be in this position, with you." Camila internally winced at her word choice, but since she was being an open book to Lauren currently, she didn't dwell on it. 

"Look, you've been really great to me. And to have your support and confidence means the world to me. I know it's a long time down the road, but I hope once this is all over, we can stay in contact. You know, be friends?" Camila looked at Lauren hopefully.

As Camila was spilling her guts, Lauren was trying to process what all of this meant. Looking at Camila's warm brown eyes showed her that the Latina is being completely sincere.Lauren felt her eyes soften and the corners of her mouth curl into a small, goofy smile as she listened to Camila. Knowing that this friendship meant as much to Camila as it did to her, reassured Lauren that opening up to the singer wasn't the wrong choice. Although it did hurt a little bit for Camila to refer to them as friends, but Lauren would take what she could get.

"Of course we will Camz! I told you, I'd kill to have a record with you. Even if I have to take on Harry Styles himself." Camila laughed.

"Even though he's not a producer." Lauren just shrugged.

"Hey, it's the thought that counts, isn't it?" Camila smiled, feeling confident about telling Lauren the things that she did. "And just so you know, your friendship is important to me too." Lauren said softly and Camila's heart jumped, doing a little dance. The two sat in silence for a minute or two, simply staring at the other. 

Suddenly, Lauren hopped up, offering Camila her hand, pulling her to her feet. "Look, it's getting late, you probably want to get home and sleep. It's been a long couple of days, and the hard work has only just begun. Let me drive you home." Camila nodded.

Lauren shut off her computer and locked up her office before heading down to her car. Camila directed the producer to her apartment, which was only a few blocks away. The soft music playing in the car was the only noise for the entire trip. The silence wasn't comfortable, nor was it uncomfortable. It was simply that, silence. Lauren parked her Lexus outside Camila's building. 

"Thanks for the ride Lauren." The coach nodded.

"Well it's not like I would just let you take a cab, or heaven forbid walk alone late at night." Camila smiled at Lauren. She held up the USB drive. 

"Thanks again, for this." Lauren nodded.

"Hey, like I said, it's no problem. I wanted to. Thank you, for letting me record you." Camila reached for the handle on the door, to open it. However, before she got out of the car, she quickly leaned over and purposely kissed Lauren on her right cheek, although her lips were very close to the corner of Lauren's lips. The producer blushed as Camila hurried out of the car, shutting the door behind her.

Sitting in her seat, she stared at Camila walk into her building, but not before turning back to wave at her. Blinking a few times, she wondered to herself before starting her car.

This.. thing with Camila was journeying into dangerous waters. The Latina's friendly persona and total disregard for personal boundaries was going to be the death of Lauren. Shaking her head, she resolved to keep it as professional as possible for now. At least that's what she told herself. Deep down she knew that her relationship with Camila had gone far past simply professional and very close to deeply personal. Lauren had always been dense when it came to feelings. But she was starting to realize that perhaps Camila felt that same way about her, as she did about the Latina.

-

After a couple days break, everyone gathered on set. The coaches called team meetings with their remaining members. Lauren sat in a studio with what was left of her contestants. 

"Congratulations everyone for making it past Knockouts." Camila looked around the room and it seemed much emptier than the last time they had all met. Of course, that was to be expected as they had essentially gotten rid of half the team. "Next up, is going to be Live Playoffs. And for the rest of the show, everything you perform is going to be live, so keep that in mind."

A few of the artists looked a little uncomfortable about performing live, in front of America. 

"Only three of you are going to be moving on, so work hard."

Someone spoke up, "how exactly is that determined then?"

 _'Someone obviously hadn't done their research.'_ Camila thought to herself.

"You will be performing a song, live. Then the viewers will pick their two favorites from each team, and I will pick an additional artist. The rest of you will be going home. You will not be battling anyone this time, and the rest of the show is basically a free for all. I encourage all of you to work hard in the next month or so. We have a little time until Playoffs. Everything you've filmed so far takes a while to be edited and premiered. The next time you will be on that stage, it'll be in front of America." Camila felt a surge of nervous confidence. She knew that from here on out, she'd need to work her ass off to progress forward. The viewers would be determining the fate of the rest of the show. 

The coaches could only step in so much. She felt good about her abilities, but she still worried about having a bum performance. Every performance was always different. Sometimes you did great, sometimes you had a bad day. She just hoped she didn't have a bad day in front of America.

"I'm proud of all of you for making it this far. Please, none of you hesitate to come find me if you need help. I'm your coach after all. For the rest of the show, I'll mostly leave you to your own devices. But I'll be here everyday if you need assistance in whatever." She saw nodding heads around the room. 

"Good, you all are free to go about whatever it is you've been doing. Again, congratulations."

As everyone else filed out, Camila approached Lauren, she smiled as she noticed Camila walking over to her. 

"What's up Camz?" 

"Do you have a minute?" Lauren nodded, waiting for everyone to exit the studio, so that her and Camila are the only ones left.

"Shoot." Lauren said. 

"Look I was wondering if you wanted to go out to lunch. I still think I owe you for the last time." Camila asked nervously. But Lauren nodded eagerly.

"Sure, I'm starving. You have a place in mind?" The Latina nodded. 

"Yeah, there's this small, family owned cafe not too far from here. They have great sandwiches   
and stuff."

"Great, let me grab my jacket."

As Camila waited, she did a little victory dance. She had been rehearsing in front of her bathroom mirror about how she wanted to ask Lauren out to lunch. Ever since she had resolved to let loose her feelings a little bit, she had wanted to ask Lauren out. Although she knew it was just as friends, she still felt elated. She was fishing for Lauren's feelings towards her. She suspected that Lauren might see her as more than a friend, but she didn't want to read too much into it. 

The coach wasn't the type of person to open up to just anyone. But Camila pegged her for the type of person to be very friendly and personable to those that she did. She didn't want to misread the signs and break what the two had. Camila cared too much about her current relationship with Lauren. As much as she wanted something more, she'd understand if Lauren didn't feel the same. It would break her heart, but she would understand.

After Lauren finished packing everything up,she turned to Camila. "You ready?" The Latina nodded.

"Well then, after you." Lauren said, gesturing out the studio door. Camila laughed, but left the studio, Lauren close on her heels. "So, are you going to let me help you for Playoffs?" Camila laughed. 

"Of course. I wanted to surprise you that one time. From here on, you'll know what's coming out."

"Good. Don't get me wrong, I liked the surprise. But I just want to help you move on from here." 

Camila couldn't help what came out of her mouth next. "Do you pay this much attention to the rest of the contestants?" Camila's hand flew to her mouth. She cursed herself for her word vomit. "Oh my God, that was.. No, don't feel the need to answer that. Sometimes I talk before I think."

Lauren stayed silent, Camila couldn't detect any anger or defensiveness in Lauren, so she took that as a good sign. 

The two left the studio in silence. But Lauren's mind was working a million miles a minute. Camila's question had really gotten to her. Was Camila really monopolizing her time? She knew the answer was yes, as much as she wanted to deny it. In only a matter of a month or so, Camila Cabello had shattered Lauren's emotional walls. Camila was the closest friend that Lauren had had in a long time.

Did that scare Lauren?

Yes, it did.

Is Lauren going to run like she usually did when things got emotional?

Nope. Not this time.

 


	11. You Were My First And Only Friend

Training for Playoffs was in full swing and as such, Camila didn't have a lot of time to spare. But even so, she and Lauren managed to see each other for at least a few minutes every day. While Lauren wasn't really formally coaching her team anymore, in terms of making them have a session with her once a week, people were constantly demanding her attention. Lauren didn't mind, that was her job for now. She had put her producing and performing jobs on hold until the show was over. She wanted to give her all to these artists who asks for her help.

Looking over her team she had a lot of strong artists, however she still is of the opinion that Camila had the strongest skill set and had the greatest potential to win it all. At the beginning, her interest in winning was mostly a desire to beat out Harry. But ever since Camila had barged into her life, she became more and more invested in winning because she really wanted her friend to succeed. Not to say that she didn't believe that Camila couldn't get record deals easily after she was off the show, whether she won or not. But for some unexplainable reason, she really just wanted the Latina to win.

She had resigned herself to the fact that she did indeed like Camila, in more than a friendly way. And Camila had made it increasingly difficult to control herself. The singer seemed insistent on flirting with her whenever she had the chance, sticking innuendos wherever she could put them. And what was worse was that Camila seemed to not even realize she was doing it, at least in Lauren's opinion that was the case. The Latina just threw them around like she didn't think twice about it. Like it was normal. And as Lauren thought about it, maybe that is just the way Camila is, she didn't have any concept of personal space and had little grasp on social ques. But that was all part of why Lauren really like Camila.

Camila wasn't insecure about what other people thought of her. Sure, the singer wanted to prove herself to everyone, but that was different. That was job advancement. But as a person, she seemed to not care. Lauren even found Camila's word vomit endearing. It was cute to see Camila try to recover. She would always apologize to Lauren after she asked an either inappropriate or very personal question.

Lauren had a goofy smile on her face that she was unaware of when Harry walked over to her. Sitting down next to the producer, he smirked.

"You seem deep in thought." Harry's voice shocked Lauren's wandering mind and she put a scowl on her face.

"What are you talking about Styles?" Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Did that happy smile on your face have anything to do with a certain singer?" Lauren's face shot up to look at Harry, who was giving her a knowing smirk. Lauren just sighed.

"Am I that obvious?" The guy shook his head.

"Only to me. As much as you hate it Lauren, I know you."

"I know." Lauren said quietly.

"Look Lauren, I know things ended on an ugly note between us back in college.." Harry started before Lauren cut him off.

"Harry, stop. We both know we want to forget college. What are you doing?" Harry looked down at his palms.

"Swallowing my pride. I saw you looking at Camila during Knockouts. I haven't seen that look on your face in a long time Lauren. Despite what happened between us, I don't want to see you miserable." Lauren was silent for a few minutes before speaking.

"I haven't felt this way about anyone,ever. It both excites me and scares me. I don't know what to do. She's a contestant, I'm her coach. Nothing can happen between us now, if ever. I don't even know if she's interested in me. Harry laughed and Lauren shot him a dirty look.

"Lauren, it's obvious that Camila is infatuated with you. I probably shouldn't tell you this, but she asked me about what happened between us."

"And what did you tell her?" Lauren asked hesitantly. It wasn't that she didn't want Camila to know, but it was a touchy subject for both Harry and Lauren.

"That we are both too stubborn to talk about it." Lauren nodded.

"Well you were right about that." Harry sighed.

"But don't you think we should?" Lauren shook her head.

"No." The producer said flatly.

"Lauren, it's been years. Are you ever going to get over it?" Harry almost yelled. Lauren's nostrils flared.

"Oh no, you don't get to say that to me Harry. You were the fucking reason I ran off to LA. I would have stayed at College if it hadn't been for you." Harry scoffed.

"That's hardly fair Lauren. It wasn't my fault you decided to leave. That was all you. Besides, you made it here just fine. Look at where you are now, you never would have been here if you hadn't left."

"You don't know that. I could have been."

"You've even said it yourself that it was a lot of luck that got you to where you are now! Who's to say you would have been doing gigs at that club when Normani was there if you hadn't left!" Harry couldn't believe Lauren was blaming him for her departure from Uni.

-

_"What the fuck was that Lauren? Didn't I tell you to stick to the set list?" Their team captain all but yelled at Lauren after their performance. It was the night of semi-finals for a competition that the group they are in is intended on winning, and if they didn't make it to top two, they were finished for the season._

_"Really Ariana? I knew you were oblivious, but I didn't know it was that bad. The entire audience was falling asleep! I did what I had to." Their captain scoffed._

_"Why don't you ask the rest of the team what they thought of your little stunt then?" Lauren's eyes immediately shot to Harry. The sophomore is her closest friend on the group, she thought she could count on him._

_But instead, Harry hesitated. Then spoke. "Ariana is right Laur." Lauren's heart dropped as well as her mouth. "We all agreed to stick to the set list, you shouldn't have added anything in, you should've warn us or something to avoid some confusion." Ariana gave Lauren a smug look._

_"See, even your best friend agrees with me. We all knew you shouldn't be here in the first place." Harry was about to protest, because that wasn't what he said, she twisted his words. But Lauren stopped him._

_"Don't Harry. You've made yourself perfectly clear. If this is what I get for trying..." Lauren just shook her head, feeling sadness, betrayal and anger. She quickly turned and stormed off, trying not to punch the nearest brick wall. She hoped more than anything that Harry would run after her, but the guy was standing next to the rest of the team, shocked at what just happened._

_Lauren didn't return to their group after that. In fact, she didn't return to Uni. She had just enough money saved up from working to various clubs and bars around Miami to buy herself a plane ticket to LA. She had a family friend living in the city that she could stay with until she got herself situated. So in true Lauren Jauregui fashion, she ran away._

_Away from her problems._

-

"You were my best friend Harry! My only friend. You knew that I didn't want to go to that forsaken University, and you knew that the only reason I stayed and got involved with that stupid fucking group was because of you!" Lauren was shouting at Harry. Luckily they were alone with no one around to hear them. Although, Lauren wouldn't have cared if there were people eavesdropping.

"Lauren..." Harry started.

"Don't interrupt me Harry." Lauren spat and the guy quieted. "Do you know how much the night of semi-finals hurt? I counted on you for support and you went and stabbed me in the back. You didn't even stop Ariana from ripping into me. You always knew that she hated me, the only reason I was in the group was because of you. She was looking for any reason to get rid of me, and you gave it to her."

"It was so not like that!" Harry insisted.

"But it was Harry! To have my best and only friend turn his back on me? You knew about my abandonment issues, and you still let me down. You know, when I walked away from the group and Uni that night, all I wanted was for you to follow me, to tell me not to go! But no, you stayed with them. You know how much that hurt?" Tears were falling down Lauren's cheeks. She was never this emotional, but years of repressing what she wanted to say to Harry took their toll. And when he   
confronted Lauren about it, the pressure that had been building finally popped.

Harry had the decency to feel bad about doing that to Lauren, but in true Harry Styles fashion, he didn't back down. "And did you know what your departure did to me Lauren? Look, I made a mistake that night. And I'm sorry. But you were the one to make the choice to run. You could have stayed and tried to fix things. But instead you left. You abandoned what we had. It hurts, to not have you around." Lauren scoffed.

"You know I don't do feelings, I don't do emotions. You knew that better than anyone. Did you honestly think that'd I'd try to fix things?" Harry knew Lauren was right in that aspect.

"Okay, I'll give you that one. But you didn't even stick around long enough for us to try to fix it, for me to approach you. You left that night! And when we saw each other again in LA I thought that it was better to leave it alone. You certainly didn't go out of your way to talk to me about it. Instead you seemed to want to push my buttons instead." Lauren smirked.

"You make it so easy Harry." The guy snorted.

"Only because you know which ones to press." Lauren laughed, then sighed.

"Look, maybe we both handled the situation poorly. And maybe we should have talked about it earlier. But I can't just forget what happened, and how hurt I was. You've got to understand, I let you in. You know me, as much as I hate that you do. My abandonment problems, commitment issues, everything. And then we didn't see each other for two or three years. That's a long time to let resentment stew Harry." Harry ran a hand through his hair.

"You're not the only one who was hurt Lauren. I spent the rest of my time at Uni thinking about what would have been if that night had gone differently. But I learned to live with it. With both of our decisions. It's in the past. And the scars are always going to be there." Harry looked over at Lauren, and grabbed one of the producer's hands.

"And I know that we'll probably never have a friendship like we did. But can you blame me for wanting to start over?" Lauren looked up, into Harry's eyes. Tears were glistening in both coaches' pools of green, but Lauren blinked away hers immediately.

"I'll think about it." Harry nodded. Considering the situation, he was lucky to get that   
much out of his once, best friend. "Answer me one question though." Harry nodded hesitantly.

"What brought this up? I mean, we've ignored this for so long, why now?" Harry sighed.

"Camila." He said simply. "When she asked me about what happened between us, it got me thinking. I really do miss what we had. I told her that I disliked you, and as soon as those words left my mouth, they felt wrong. I may have felt hurt back then, but I've never hated you." Harry admitted. Lauren offered Harry a small smile.

"I guess even when she doesn't know she's doing it, Camila is looking out for me." Harry laughed.

"She's something special Lauren. I know you're worried about how a relationship between the two of you would affect her career. But shouldn't that be something that she has a say in? She likes you Lauren, really. And you'd be crazy to let someone like her go." Lauren nodded.

"I know. And it's not just about her career. I'm afraid of her. You know me, you said it yourself. I'm insecure. What if I let her in, and she leaves me? Everyone does eventually." Harry grabbed Lauren by the shoulders.

"There's that risk in any relationship Laur. But you have to consider this, is the risk worth it? Mila is a great girl, she's sweet, funny, an awesome singer, not to mention beautiful. And you like her, that in and of itself is a feat." The two laughed, knowing that to be true.

"I don't know Harry." The said guy let out a frustrated huff.

Squeezing Lauren's shoulder, he stood up. "Look Lauren, it's ultimately up to you. Everything is, between us. I want to start over, we can both never forget what happened, but if you're willing to move on, so am I. If its any consolation, Ariana got some tongue lashing from the group if you have stayed longer." He smirked and was about to walk away but stopped and turned his head to Lauren again, "And in regards to Camila, don't spend all your time dwelling on what could possibly go wrong. And think about what you'll have if things go right." And with that parting thought, Harry left Lauren to her thoughts.

Lauren had a lot to think about. Harry had essentially dropped a bombshell in her lap, and she didn't know what to do about it. She let out a frustrated moan before slumping back in her chair.

-

Lauren had managed to pull together enough time in her schedule to drag Camila to her studio. The singer had yet to pick a song for Playoffs, but they were still a few weeks away. She had time. The two had agreed to record another track together, mostly for fun.The two had grown accustomed to being together, even with their time being taken up mostly by the show. They still made time to spend with each other.

The two were sitting in Lauren's office, going through her extensive list of songs. Scrolling through, Camila glanced out the window then stopped Lauren, pointing at a specific song.

"What about that one?" Lauren smiled.

"Are you sure? That's not exactly your style." Camila shrugged.

"I want to give it a go. If it doesn't work out, we can try another one?" Lauren nodded. She wanted to see how Camila will handle the 30 Seconds to Mars song anyways. Camila didn't have the ideal voice for the alternative rock sound, but if anyone could pull this off, it would be her.

She clicked on the song, and it opened up. Hitting play, she sat back and listened to Camila try her hand at the song.

**There was truth  
There was consequence   
Against you, a weak defense   
Then there's me, I'm seventeen   
Looking for a fight   
All my life I was never there   
Just a ghost running scared   
Here our dreams aren't made-   
They're won.**

Camila wasn't used to the genre or the sound of the song, but she tried her best. Remembering Jason's performance of Kings and Queens, she tried her best to emulate that sound. From what she knew of the alternative rock band, this was one of their calmer tracks.

**Lost in the city of angels  
Down in the comfort of strangers   
I found myself in the fire burned hills   
In the land of a billion lights**

She really liked the sound of this song. And from the look on Lauren's face, she also approved. Camila met Lauren's eyes and she smiled widely at Camila, encouraging her to continue.

**Bought my fate straight from hell  
Second sight has paid off well  
For a mother, a brother and me  
The silver of a lake at night  
The hills of Hollywood on fire  
A boulevard of hope and dreams  
Streets made of desire**

Lauren had to admit, she wasn't sure if Camila could do it. But once again, the singer had proved her wrong. It wasn't perfect by any means, but Lauren couldn't help but be captivated by Camila's melodious voice. Her soft, feminine sound didn't exactly go with the track, but Lauren knew with a little tweaking on the music, and translating it to piano, perhaps adding in a little guitar and a beat, she knew that they could make it work.

**Lost in the city of angels  
Down in the comfort of strangers   
I found myself in the fire burned hills   
In the land of a billion lights   
I found myself in the fire burned hills   
In the land of a billion lights   
(Of a billion lights, of a billion lights, of a billion   
lights...)**

Camila stopped there, as Lauren grinned at her friend. "That was great Camz!" Camila beamed at Lauren.

"Thanks! I wasn't sure if I was cut out for singing something by them." Camila shrugged.

"Well I definitely think you should pursue it."

"You think?" Camila said sarcastically. Lauren snorted.

"I sure do Cabello. I will get you in that recording booth." Camila raised an eyebrow.

"You sure this isn't a ploy to get me all alone?" Lauren had been becoming more accustomed to Camila's flirting, and had even been flirting back lately. Every since her chat with Harry, she had been thinking about what the guy said. He was right, to a degree. Maybe the risk was worth it. She couldn't stand waiting and perhaps Camila moving on to find someone else.

Lauren wiggled her eyebrows, smirked and husked out, lowering her voice into a whisper on purpose. "It might be, if that's what you want?" Camila's breath hitched. The singer leaned in closer, their noses almost touching. Almost, but close enough.

"Perhaps." She whispered. It would be so easy for either woman to lean in and kiss the other. But Lauren still wasn't a hundred percent sure what she wanted, and she didn't want to start something she couldn't finish. So slowly, she pulled back first. Camila blinked, and Lauren caught the slight look of disappointment before it was masked by a teasing smile.

"Do I make you nervous Lauren?" The woman in question furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean?"

"You always pull back first." She said simply. Lauren just shrugged.

"I like my personal space." Camila wanted to call Lauren out on her bullshit, but refrained. She knew that Lauren liked her personal space when it came to anyone but her. She allowed the singer to invade her personal space on a daily basis, hugging the coach whenever she saw her. It was something else, and if Camila is feeling hopeful, she'd think it was because Lauren felt something for her but didn't know what to do about it.

But instead she playfully backhanded Lauren on the shoulder. "Whatever Lolo." She said at the coach who yelped and rubbed her shoulder.

"Jeez Camz, abusive are you?" Camila smiled innocently.

"Only to people I like." Lauren's eye glinted happily.

"You like me?" Camila mentally berated herself for her slip up, but went to cover her bases.

"Of course I do! You're like, my best friend!" That warmed Lauren's heart. After her conversation with Harry, she realized that she hadn't truly had a best friend since the guy. And now she had found that, perhaps something more with Camila.

"Me too Camz."

 


	12. Stop Being Scared And Face Your Fears

"Playoffs are only a few days away Camz, are you sure you're ready?" Lauren asked her for what seemed like the millionth time. Camila just sighed.

"Yes Lauren, I'm sure." This obviously wasn't the first time Camila had this conversation with Lauren. Ever since she had picked her song and she started working with Lauren on it, the coach is always badgering her about it. She often wondered if Lauren was as invested with the other members of her team, but deep down she knew that Lauren wasn't. Camila had been paying attention to Lauren more and more over the last couple of weeks.

She noticed that the coach had been spending more and more time with her and as much as she wanted to feel bad about monopolizing her time, she couldn't find the desire to feel anything but happiness. She had been dropping more and more hints about her feelings around Lauren. The producer often flirted back, but that was the extent of it. Whenever Camila tried to push things further, Lauren would pull back. It frustrated Camila to no end. She came to the conclusion that Lauren most likely felt something for her. But whenever she'd try to find out, her friend would always retreat back into her little safe zone.

For example, a recording session the two had a few days prior.

-

_Camila was sitting next to Lauren in the recording studio. They were seated In front of the mixing board, working on a song together. Lauren usually didn't mix and produce songs with the artist behind the board with her. But Camila was different, she did a lot of things that Lauren didn't usually let others do. Camila noted this and often used it to her advantage._

_Camila had become bolder since their 'almost' kiss in Lauren's office after Knockouts. She had ramped up her flirt factor ten fold. But her ever dense object of affection never seemed to give her any indication that she understood that the Latina was coming on to her._

_"What do you think about this Camz?" Lauren pressed the playback button and let Camila listen to the segment that she had just put together. After listening to it in its entirety, Camila responded._

_"It sounds great Laur. Although might I suggest adding a downbeat, here?" Camila leaned in closer to Lauren, their shoulders touching as she pointed to the screen, showing her where in the track she thought it might sound good. Lauren nodded, trying to fend off the tingling of her spine from her contact with Camila._

_The Latina, seeing and feeling no reaction to their proximity, sat back in her chair, disappointed look on her face. Lauren was purposely not looking at Camila, for fear of seeing her reaction to the producer's inaction. It killed her to ignore Camila's advances, but it was better for everyone if she didn't give into her impulses. At least for now._

_But of course Camila didn't know that._

-

"Lauren, please stop worrying about Playoffs. You've heard me yourself, right? I can do this." Lauren smiled and nodded. It wasn't that she didn't trust Camila, not at all. But for some, perhaps irrational, reason, she couldn't bear to see Camila leave the show. Although, her leaving might clean up some of Lauren's internal battles. She would no longer have a reason to stay away from Camila. She would be able to freely pursue the Latina, as she was no longer her coach. But at the same time, she wanted Camila to be successful. And perhaps above all, she wanted her friend to be happy. And Camila seemed invested in winning the show.

Lauren was going to be the one to help her get there.

"No, you're right Camz. I just.. want to see you move on." Camila's heart warmed at Lauren's sincere tone. She placed her hand gently on Lauren's upper arm, running her hand up and down the bare skin. The coach's body broke out in goosebumps from Camila's touch. Lauren's eyes fluttered shut, allowing herself to bask in the feeling, if only for a minute. This didn't escape Camila's notice however.

She was fully aware of how Lauren reacted to her. She had also resolved to push Lauren to her physical limits. It was a dangerous game she was playing, knowing full well that if she did this wrong, she could possibly push Lauren away from her.

"I know you do Laur, and I love you for it." Lauren felt a slight clenching of her heart at Camila's use of the word love. Coming to terms with the fact that she felt something for Camila and that the Latina most likely felt at least a little something for her was hard for Lauren. And it was scary to entertain the idea of someone loving her. But if it had to be anyone, she was glad it's Camila. She had a lot of heartbreak in her life. And it had hurt her, more than she liked to admit.

But ever since Camila had walked into her life and shattered her barriers, it was like all of that never existed. Or at least the pain never existed. Lauren would never forget, but she felt like she could move on, as long as Camila remained in her life, as a friend or potentially something more.

Lauren smiled reassuringly at Camila. "Love you too Camz." She replied. "You ready to go again?"

Camila nodded as she got up to go stand behind the microphone. She and Lauren were at the producer's studio, practicing for Playoffs. Since this time Lauren was helping Camila with her performance, they had spent a lot of time together in the studio.

After Camila picked her track, Lauren helped her arrange it and record it. It didn't take all that long, as Camila did most of it and Lauren just fixed it up. After all, the coach still had other team members besides Camila to work with. She spent most of the morning and part of the afternoon on the set of The Voice, and spent many of her late afternoons and evenings with Camila at her studio. The Latina spent most of her time working on her song arrangement. It had only taken about a week and a half to get it together. Lauren was particularly impressed that Camila had written parts for more than just piano. Sure that's where she based it, but she had written a rough outline for the drums and guitar as well. The producer was continually impressed with the Latina's affinity for music.

After the track was completed, it was all about working on Camila's performance. This was going to be a live show, so all the contestants were feeling the pressure to do well. Especially since only three people from each team would be moving on. The song that Camila was performing was a little bit of a risk, since it had that alternative rock vibe to it, which wasn't exactly Camila's forte. She didn't sound bad, far from it. But performing it live, that was going to be a challenge. However, it wasn't one that Camila wasn't up for.

-

It was around seven in the evening before Camila and Lauren called it quits for the night. Camila was feeling fairly confident for Playoffs, and that confidence seemed to radiate over to Lauren as well. After the two finished practicing for the night, they relaxed on the couch in Lauren's office together, just enjoying spending time with one another.

This had also become a habit over the last few weeks. On nights where Camila and Lauren were in the studio together, they'd often relax in Lauren's office together, watching the LA skyline, talking to each other. It had definitely helped the two friends become even closer and gave Camila ample opportunity to flirt with Lauren.

She often slowly scooted closer to Lauren over the evening, to where she was nearly in Lauren's lap by the end of the night. And surprisingly the coach never protested. 'I like my personal space my ass Lauren.' Camila often thought when she got in close proximity to Lauren.

That particular night they were talking a little bit about their college experiences, something that Lauren had never really opened up to other people about before. But since her chat with Harry, and her discovery that Camila was the one who instigated it, if she knew it or not, she had been more willing to share things with the Latina.

"You were in a singing group in college?" Camila asked curiously. She never would have pegged Lauren as such. However the coach just groaned.

"I guess. I never really fit in though. Our captain of sorts hated my guts. Ended up kicking me off the team eventually." Lauren thought back to that night. While she was still hurt over Harry's actions, she had slowly been coming to terms with it. She wasn't immediately going to go back to being friends with him, not at all. But she wasn't just ignoring it anymore.

That was progress at least.

"How come? If you don't mind telling me that is." Camila asked hesitantly. She got the feeling that it was touchy subject for Lauren. She wasn't going to pry an answer out of Lauren if she didn't want to give it. But to her surprise, Lauren answered her.

"I altered our set list in the middle of a performance." Camila's eyebrows shot up. She wasn't in a group singing in competitions before, but she could only imagine how difficult it would be to alter something like that on the fly. "What you have to understand about that group is that they are deeply rooted in tradition. Our set-list was old and boring. It was putting everyone, including the judges to sleep. I might had added in a song here and there to spice it up. Because we were on stage, the rest of the group were forced to deal with it, but as soon as we were off the stage, Ariana ripped me a new one." Lauren said bitterly. Camila sensed her friend's emotions, and went to wrap an arm around Lauren's shoulder.

"Well then, she obviously was a bitch. You did what you had to, to make sure no one died of boredom." Camila joked. Lauren shot Camila a weak smile.

"Yeah I guess. You know, I've never told anyone about this. I mean, I haven't even talked to Harry about this and he was there." Lauren said before she realized what she had admitted. Camila looked at her curiously.

"Harry was there?" Lauren sighed sadly. She hadn't really meant to say that, but it was out there now. She might as well.

"Yeah, Harry and I were on the Group together. It's how we met."

"Oh." Camila didn't really know what to say. She knew Harry and Lauren had history but she never knew anything about it. And she wasn't going to pry into their relationship.

"I know he talked to you. In fact, he confronted me about it a few weeks ago, saying that you gave him the courage or whatever to do it."

"I.. I mean I asked him about what went on between you two, but he didn't really want to talk about it, so I didn't really push it. Sorry if I started something you weren't ready for." Lauren waved Camila off.

"Don't worry about it Camz, it's not your fault. In fact, after thinking about it, that conversation was long overdue. See, Harry and I used to be best friends. But that night he didn't step up to defend me against Ariana and that hurt. At the time, it felt like a massive betrayal, it still does to a degree. But I guess I overreacted a little bit. I'm still mad at him for it, but it feels like the knife in my back loosened just a little bit." Lauren finished. Camila squeezed Lauren's shoulder.

"But what happened, happened. Nothing much to do about it really. It's why I ignored it for so long. I can't go back in time and change it." Camila looked at Lauren's sympathetically, gathering her in a hug, trying to cheer the producer up.

"Nope you can't, but who knows. If he hadn't done that, you might not even be here. And if you hadn't been here we might not have met." Camila whispered into Lauren's ear. And that statement hit Lauren, hard. She couldn't, no didn't, want to imagine her life without Camila in it. The Latina had become a fixture in her life that Lauren didn't want to let go of. Harry's departure from her life had hurt her, but if Camila were to depart from it, it would kill her. That thought sobered Lauren a little bit.

Holding Camila a little tighter, she replied, "I can't imagine my life without you. So I guess, I should be thankful for the choices that led me here." This time, Camila pulled back first.

"You know, I feel the same way. I can't even remember what it was like before you became my friend." Lauren's heart clenched. 'There's that word again, _friend_.' Lauren thought to herself bitterly. She was thrilled that Camila is her friend, but her feelings went far beyond just friendship, and she was about ninety percent sure Camila's did as well. But it still stung a little bit to only be referred to as a friend.

Lauren had sat in silence for a minute before Camila was concerned she might have said something wrong. She scooted closer to Lauren, waving a hand in front of her face. "Hey Lauren, are you okay? Was it something I said?" Lauren snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Camila's concerned face.

"No, sorry. Lost in thought I guess." Lauren shrugged it off. But Camila knew there was something else going on, and this time, she wasn't going to let Lauren get away with it.

"There's something else going on, isn't there Lauren?" She inquired. The producer blinked and curled up in a little defensive ball of nerves.

"No." She said a little sharply. "It's nothing." She hadn't meant to be harsh to Camila, but being confronted directly wasn't something she was used to, or liked. It was her natural reaction.

"It's obviously not nothing if you're being so defensive about it. So tell me." Camila insisted.

"Camz, please. It's nothing." The Latina grabbed hold of Lauren's shoulders.

"Laur, whatever it is, you can tell me. You know that right? I'm your friend, best friend even." Lauren looked into Camila's bright, brown eyes. Although that was a mistake. She saw emotion and sincerity swirling there, mixed with concern and laced with love. Before she knew it, she was being subjected to the word vomit that Camila was so famous for.

"I don't want to lose you okay?" Lauren almost shouted. Camila furrowed her brow.

"What do you mean? You're not going to lose me." Camila was confused as to what brought that up. "We're going to be best friends forever. Even when we're not on the show anymore. Didn't I tell you I was going to make you keep your promise of recording with me?" Camila offered. Lauren just sniffled a little bit. 'Get it together Jauregui, you will not cry right now.' She said to herself, willing her emotions to get a grip.

"It's more than that Camz. I know you're not going to ditch me after the show. I'm just scared." Lauren admitted. It was hard for her to voice that she was scared of something, but there it was. 

"Of what?" Camila asked, she wanted to comfort her crush, but she didn't know how.

"Of myself I guess." 

"How come?" Camila whispered. The soft, vulnerable voice that came out of Camila's mouth made Lauren look down towards her lips, darting back up to look Camila in the eyes again. That momentary glance didn't escape Camila, not at all. She now had an idea of what Lauren was talking about.

"I don't know." Lauren said, in a defeated tone. Camila subtly leaned in close to Lauren, bringing their faces a few inches apart. Becoming enveloped in Camila's scent, Lauren inhaled quickly. She was very quickly losing her resolve to keep herself from closing the gap. She watched the Latina's eyes dart down to Lauren's lips before returning her gaze. She wasn't going to push any further. She left it up to Lauren to finish the job. Or to give her an out if she wished. 

"Stop being scared then and face your fears." Camila said so quietly, that Lauren wouldn't have heard it if their faces weren't so close together. And that statement was the final straw. She couldn't control it anymore. She brought her hand up, behind Camila's neck, and pulled the Latina's face forward to meet her own.

As their lips collided, both women's nostrils flared and shocks of imaginary electricity shot up and down their bodies. Camila felt her hands try to pull Lauren closer to her, wanting to meld their lips even closer together, if that was possible. There wasn't fireworks like it said in the romance novels. It was more like just a content feeling passing between the two of them. A warmth perhaps. Something to signify to both of them that was definitely not a mistake.

Lauren, of course, broke off first. Pulling away from Camila. The Latina felt a little hurt at Lauren's immediate retreat from what they had just shared. But at the same time, she understood this wasn't easy for Lauren. If her confession a minute ago was any indication.

"I.. I'm sorry Camz." The Latina looked at Lauren with a confused look on her face.

"For what?" She asked. 

"I can't." Camila felt her heart drop.

"Why?" She croaked out. She feared Lauren's response. What if Lauren had only kissed her in the heat of the moment and she regretted it. What if she thought it was a mistake? Camila didn't know if her heart could take that.

"I can't do that to you." Camila was even more confused. 

"What do you mean? I kissed you back Lauren."

"Think about it Camila! I can't do this with you right now." Camila's ears perked up at the 'right now' part. "Look, I'm your coach, I can't have a relationship with you. If we were to get found out, the media would rip right into you. The career that you've been so desperately wanting would be shot. I can't do that to you!" Lauren said, a tear or three dripping down her face.

And Camila's features softened. Her heart warmed for Lauren. The coach only looking out for it. and to Camila that meant the world. She reached up and wiped the tears off Lauren's face before pulling her into a hug.

"Lauren, I know you're worried. But please, don't I get any say in this? I mean it's my career."

"Camz, please understand. I couldn't forgive myself if I was the reason that you didn't make it in this business. Not with all the talent and hard work you put into it. I can't let you throw that away, for a shot at something with me." Camila pulled back to look at Lauren.

"You'd want something with me?" Camila inquired hopefully and Lauren nodded. She grabbed both of Camila's hands, grasping them in hers.

"More than anything. You're my best friend Camz, but you've become so much more than that." Neither girl needed to elaborate on what that meant.

"Then let me be. Lauren, you can't stand imagine ending a shot at a career. But I can't imagine standing by, knowing that you feel the same way about me. Please, we don't have to tell anyone, we can wait until the show is over. I mean, we spend enough time together in the studio as it is. No one would question us spending time together." Camila said hopefully. 

Lauren pondered the idea.

It had merit. Camila was right, they were almost always found together anyways. If they were extremely careful, they might be able to make it through the rest of the show without anyone knowing. Part of Lauren despised sneaking around, but another part of her, a bigger part, didn't want to wait.

And it was that part that won out. Plus the fact that Lauren seemed to be unable to deny Camila anything. Lauren nodded. "Okay." She said softly. Camila grinned widely before hugging Lauren tightly. Then pulled back and pressing their lips together. As the two kissed, they both knew this was going to be hard. But as they become enveloped in each other, they both knew it was going to be worth it.


	13. Playoffs

Camila's leg was bouncing up and down nervously. She was watching a playback that Lauren had recorded of what was going to be her Playoff performance. As she watched herself sing, she couldn't help but nitpick herself. 'Oh no, that note was off and 'Crap, I look stupid doing that,' were common thoughts for the duration of the song.

Lauren noticed her nervousness and gently wrapped an arm around Camila's shoulder. Slowly, the bouncing leg calmed and the singer leaned into the warm body next to her. It had only been a couple days since Camila had convinced Lauren to give them a shot. But the two had been taking things very slowly. Both of them were cautious of moving too fast and either doing something that they weren't ready for, or accidentally getting caught in public. To the outside world nothing between them had changed. Maybe they were a little more touchy feely than before, a look here and suggestive glance there, but nothing to really signify anything beyond close friendship. But in the privacy of the studio, the two would share gentle touches and quick kisses in between working on Camila's song.

Brushing her lips against Camila's cheek, Lauren whispered, "Stop worrying so much Camz. You   
look great and I'm sure you'll look even better when you're up on stage." Camila shrugged. "Look Camila, a few days ago you told me to trust in your singing ability. Now I'm telling you to trust in yourself." Camila turned her head to look at Lauren.

"Yeah, you're right. I'm just nervous. Playoffs are tomorrow and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't freaking out about it." Lauren squeezed Camila's shoulder.

"I'd be concerned if you weren't freaked out. It's a big deal to be up there. But think about it! This is your chance to show the world what you're capable of. I know your abilities, but the world out there They still need proof. They need to see the amazing girl that I do." Camila's heart melted a little bit.

She smiled widely at Lauren in true Cabello fashion and turned in her seat to throw her arms tightly around Lauren's waist, laying her head on Lauren's shoulder. "How do you always know what to say to me? Even if I don't know what I want to hear, you know what to say."

Lauren pulled back to look Camila in the eyes. "Because I understand you Camila. Or at least understand how your mind functions. I may not understand the why, but you're my best friend! Even more than that. Some girlfriend I'd be if I didn't know what you needed to hear." Camila's ears perked up. They hadn't really discussed the labels of their relationship. Considering it was a secret, it wasn't like they could announce to the world that they were girlfriends.

"Is that what this is? What we are?" Camila asked. Lauren could sense the slight vulnerability in the Latina's voice. She quickly grabbed Camila's hands in hers and intertwined their fingers.

"I mean, I know we never talked about being exclusive or anything.. And if you're not comfortable..." Lauren trailed off. Camila was quick to pick up where Lauren left off though.

"No! I mean, yes. I want this," Camila gestured between them, their hands still connected, "I want to be your girlfriend." She added shyly.

The coach smiled happily and leaned in to capture Camila's lips in hers. Even after a few days, the warm feeling associated with kissing the Latina hadn't faded. It still heated Lauren's heart and down into her stomach.

Both girls pulled back and Camila rested her forehead on Lauren's. "I still never get tired of that." Lauren laughed.

"Neither do I." looking at Camila right in the eye while smiling at her.

-

Everyone had gathered at the studio the next day to prepare for Playoffs. As Camila looked around, she knew that a lot of the people that stood next to her now, wouldn't be there the next day. She just hoped that she would be.

"Alright people, listen up! This is how it's going to go. Three of you from each team will be moving on. Two will be chosen by the voters and one will be chosen by the coach. Simple. Everyone from a team will sing their song, then all five of you will go up on stage to wait for the results. And repeat for each team. Order of teams will be Adam, Harry, Lauren, and then Blake." Adam announced. Camila could see heads nodding around the room.

This is it. What Camila had been working on for the past month or so. It all culminated into this performance. It was a little nerve wracking, that viewers, for the most part, would be deciding their fate from here on out. The coaches had a few choices on who moved on, but most of it came down to the viewers.

"Okay guys, that's it, please meet in your teams for a few minutes. Your coaches have a few things to say, then you're free to do last minute preparation for tonight. Good luck everyone!" Adam finished.

Camila made her way over to Lauren, along with her fellow team mates. She didn't know many of them, the only other name she knew was Zayn. As they all gathered together, they looked each other over.

"Okay guys and girls." Lauren started as she walked over to where her team was congregated.

"Tonight is the night. I'm not going to spend too much time, because I'm sure you all want as much time as possible to prepare. Just know that you are all amazing artists and I will be sorry to let two of you go tonight. You've all worked extremely hard to get here, and I'm proud of everyone." Camila smiled at Lauren's words, as did the rest of the team.

"That means a lot Lauren. Thanks for the support over the last few months." Zayn spoke up.   
Lauren nodded his way.

"Of course, that's what I'm here for." Lauren winked, jokingly.

Camila glanced at Zayn, then at the rest of her teammates, then back at Lauren. As she looked at everyone else, she met their eyes, and then flicked back to Lauren. Silently she was trying to get all of them to pounce on the coach and it seemed to work, because after a few seconds, everyone moved quickly in Lauren's direction, gathering the coach into a big group hug.

Lauren sputtered, startled by the sudden movement and contact with everyone. All five of her team members had their arms tightly wrapped around her. Lauren didn't really like people in her personal space, but she endured it. This meant a lot of her, she started out coaching on this show with the intention of giving back to the artists that needed help, needed mentoring. To have a sign of appreciation, even if it involved entering her personal bubble, well who was she to refuse?

Although being squished between five other people, it did eventually get hard to breathe, and before long she was gasping out, "Okay, okay, I get it. Air, I need air!"

Camila giggled at her girlfriend. Then she stopped to think about that. Girlfriend. That was going to take some time getting used to.

"Thank you." Lauren said, straightening out her shirt. "Now, I'm sure you all have things to go do to get ready, so scram!" She said, smiling at the artists in front of her. Each of them went their separate ways, some going to check with the set crew to make sure everything was in order for their performance, and some bee lining for a studio to get in some last minute practice. Eventually, it was only Camila that remained.

Lauren scowled playfully at the her. "That group hug was your doing wasn't it?" Camila   
looked at the coach innocently.

"What me? Never. I know how much you hate people in your personal space." Camila said, almost mockingly. Lauren just laughed and shook her head.

"What am I going to do with you Camz?" The Latina in question just shrugged her shoulders.

"You love me, don't even deny it." Lauren hesitated. She did indeed love Camila, as a friend. She knew she had feelings for Camila that went beyond that, but she didn't yet know if they were love. She knew they could easily develop into that emotion if it was left to nurture.

But before Camila noticed her hesitance, Lauren replied, "Of course I love you Camz. Best friends   
forever right?" She winked at Camila, who blushed slightly. Checking the wall clock, she noted that she had a few hours to herself before Playoffs were going to begin.

Reluctantly, she decided that she was going to get everything finalized for Playoffs, perhaps go find Ally and wish her good luck. "Hey Laur, I'm going to run off, I'll see you later?"

Lauren nodded. "You can count on it."

She gave Camila the thumbs up before the singer bounded off.

Staring at Camila as she went elsewhere, Lauren felt a slight tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Harry standing next to her, eyebrow raised giving her a knowing look while smirking.

"You took a chance, didn't you?" Typical Harry, straight to the point. Lauren was a little panicked though. If Harry could see right through her, anyone could, so she thought.

"What! No, of course not. I told you, I'm her coach." Lauren tried to protest. Harry held up a hand to stop Lauren.

"Lauren, remember? I know you. Something happened, and I know that you're happy about it. I'm not going to ask you to spill. It's not really any of my business, but just know, that I'm glad you decided to go for it."

Lauren sighed, but didn't reply or stop Harry from walking off. The guy was right, not everyone knew her like Harry did. Hopefully it was just from their close former friendship that he was able to decipher her true feelings toward the singer.

Camila was backstage, listening to Carson begin the opener to tonight's show. The butterflies in her stomach were getting unbearable. She was fidgeting with her hands, like she had before Blinds and Battles, but this time it was much more noticeable. It wasn't long before Ally sought out her friend, to try to calm her down.

"Hey girly, stop worrying so much. You've got this in the bag. Even if the viewers don't pick you, there's no way Lauren won't." She said, elbowing Camila gently, winking at her.

Camila looked at her friend. "What is that supposed to mean?" she said a little defensively. Ally's eyes glinted.

"Don't even pretend you two don't have a thing. Saw the way you two looked at each other this   
morning. It was subtle, but me being me picked it up. Plus I've seen you pining over her for the last couple of months. And you've been extremely happy as of late, thanks in part to our certain lady coach."

Camila looked at Ally in shock, and a little bit of horror. Dropping her voice, she hissed at Ally. "You can't tell anyone about this." Ally fist pumped slightly.

"I knew it, I was right!" Camila groaned. She walked right into that one. She was going to need to be more careful if she was going to keep this from people who could give the new couple grief.

"I'm serious Ally. No one can know about it. Not now." Ally quieted, noting Camila's serious expression. She nodded.

"What kind of friend do you take me for? I'm not going to spill the beans on you and.. you know who." Camila looked at Ally gratefully. "One question though." Camila sighed. "Is she a good kisser?" Camila blushed, red creeping up her neck. Ally just laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

A stagehand, thankfully, saved Camila from any further teasing as he came to fetch Ally. Adam's team was up very soon. "Wish me luck." Ally winked at Camila. The Latina just laughed and shook her head.

"Good luck Ally. Not that you need it" The short woman sauntered off into the wings, awaiting her turn. Camila, without her friend to distract her, retreated back into her nervousness. This was big, this was in front of America. They would be deciding her future on the show. She had never performed in front of an audience that big before. Sure, it's not like they'd all be in studio. But just knowing that so many people were watching was enough to send Camila's heart into overload.

Deciding to turn her attention away from her anxiety, she decided to watch Ally perform, as she was up next.

"Up next, representing Team Adam, singing Me and My Broken Heart, Ally Brooke Hernandez!" The   
crowd went wild at the mention of the singer's name. Ally was easily one of the crowd favorites. With good reason. She had a great voice and she had the ability to captivate her audience once they were drawn Ally walked up onto the darkened stage to await her music. Once the first note hit, a single spotlight focused on her.

**All I need's a little love in my life  
All I need's a little love in the dark   
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start   
Me and my broken heart   
I need a little loving tonight   
Hold me so I'm not falling apart   
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start   
Me and my broken heart**

Ally had opted to use a microphone stand, so as she stood behind it, she gripped the mic with one hand, waving her hand in the air, dancing to the music. Camila had to admit, her friend seemed like she was made to be on stage.

**Shotgun, aimed at my heart, you got one  
Tear me apart in this song   
How do we call this love (whoa oh oh oh)   
I tried, to run away but your eyes   
Tell me to stay oh why   
Why do we call this love (whoa oh oh oh)**

As she sang, the lights on stage turned up to a low glow, as Ally grabbed the microphone out of the stand, opting to wander the stage. She made sure to make contact with each of the judges, smiling the entire time.

**It seems like we've been losing control  
Somebody tell me I'm not alone   
When I said   
All I need's a little love in my life   
All I need's a little love in the dark   
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start   
Me and my broken heart   
I need a little loving tonight   
Hold me so I'm not falling apart   
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start   
Me and my broken heart**

During the chorus, the lights flared to life, lighting up the stage and the entire studio along with it. Now full of energy, Ally showcased her range by hitting those high notes. And after every one the crowd screamed in support for the singer. They were all enticed and invested in the singer's performance. Adam nodded his head approvingly.

**Maybe some part of you just hates me  
You pick me up and play me   
How do we call this love? (whoa oh oh oh)   
One time tell me you need me tonight   
To make it easy, you lie   
And say it's all for love (whoa oh oh oh)**

The verses of the song were a little less intense than the chorus, like in most songs. So the lights calmed down, dimmed slightly and weren't flashing anymore. However, that didn't stop the singer on stage from performing with just as much energy and conviction as if they were there. Lauren watched the girl on stage and was very impressed.

**It seems like we've been losing control  
Somebody tell me I'm not alone   
When I say   
All I need's a little love in my life   
All I need's a little love in the dark   
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start   
Me and my broken heart   
I need a little loving tonight   
Hold me so I'm not falling apart   
A little but I'm hoping it might kick start   
Me and my broken heart**

Once again, for the chorus, the lights picked up, flashing and moving around the stage. Comfortably roaming about the stage, Ally took a breath. Being up on stage, in her element was exhilarating. She had some minor pyrotechnics go off in the background which excited everyone watching. Camila, while watching her friend, felt sorry for anyone that was going toe to toe with the formidable singer. Finishing out the song, Ally placed the microphone back on the stand and took a bow. The crowd went wild, while Adam stood up from his chair, clapping for his protegé.

Smiling, Ally took her leave of the stage to wait for the rest of her team to perform. She sought out Camila who was ecstatic for her.

"Oh my God Ally, that was amazing! Like, really. America is going to be crazy to not pick you!" Ally took a few deep breaths, a little winded from her performance. "You think so?" Camila nodded furiously.

"Of course!" The two spent the rest of the time catching up, along with Ally giving Camila a pep talk or two, still trying to calm her down.   
  


But before they knew it, Ally was back up on stage with her fellow team members, waiting nervously.

"Team Adam, America has spoken. And.." Carson paused for dramatic effect. Camila held her breath, hoping that her friend would be chosen.

"Liam and Ally will be in for the next round!" Camila, along with the rest of the audience cheered for the two performers.

"And Adam? You have the last pick."

"Wow, you all did great tonight. When you all first came onto the show, you all had a lot of potential, and through the last few months, we've all worked really hard to get to where we are. Unfortunately, only one of you can move on. And I pick... Jacob." The crowd cheered for him, as he fist pumped in the air, excited that he would be moving on.

The other two contestants looked dejected, but shook hands or hugged their former team members before all of the artists exited the stage. Harry's team was up next, and Camila wasn't too interested in watching anyone from the guy's team. She didn't even really know anyone there except for Louis. So instead of watching from the sidelines, she took time to compose herself.

'Lauren is right, I can do this. I've made it this far, I'm not going to back down now.' Camila   
thought to herself. Now more determined than ever, she waited patiently for her turn. She'd be going first, so she was going to be setting the bar for the rest of her team members. It was a little scary, but she'd rather go now, than have to follow up a performer that could possibly dwarf her skills. As she waiting on the stage sidelines, she watched Lauren. The coach was slouched back in her seat as she observed the other singers.

A smile came to Camila's face as she thought of the coach. If she got up there and only imagined singing for Lauren, she knew it was going to be a good night. Just block everything else out. She had sang for Lauren millions of times before, this wouldn't be any different.

She heard Carson announce that Louis and Bea would be moving on, along with a girl who's name escaped her per Harry's pick. As the team walked off the stage, Carson began his introduction of Lauren's team. Camila took a few deep breaths. It's now or never.

"And now, from Team Lauren, singing Ride, Camila Cabello!" Much like Ally, the crowd went   
wild at the mention of her name. Camila was another fan favorite. Lauren's eyes sparked as her girlfriend walked onto the stage.

She had also chosen to begin with a microphone stand, although she wasn't going to be using it that long. The beat of the drumsticks sounded, signifying the start of her performance. The audience fell silent. Camila sought out Lauren's face and imagined the rest of the studio blacked out; it was only her and Lauren.

**I just wanna stay in the sun where I find  
I know it's hard sometimes  
Pieces of peace in the sun's peace of mind  
I know it's hard sometimes  
Yeah, I think about the end just way too much  
But it's fun to fantasize  
On my enemies I wouldn't wish who I was  
But it's fun to fantasize**

This song had more of a rock and hip-hop edge to it than songs Camila had sang in the past. The audience seemed surprised by the choice, but listened and were captivated none the less. Camila's soprano voice sounded a little out of place in the song, but she managed to make it work. Perhaps it was her passion and conviction for her craft that made up for that.

**Oh, oh, I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on my ride  
Oh, I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on my ride  
Taking my time on my ride**

There were flares and such going off at the edges of the stage, lights brightly flashing around her. While this was a risky song pick for her, Camila never felt more in her element up on stage. The rock feel of the song gave her more freedom to let loose. Her movements and dancing wasn't restrained to mold into a slow song or a bubblegum pop song.

**"I'd die for you, " that's easy to say  
We have a list of people that we would take  
A bullet for them, a bullet for you  
A bullet for everybody in this room  
But I don't seem to see many bullets coming through  
See many bullets coming through  
Metaphorically, I'm the man  
But literally, I don't know what I'd do  
"I'd live for you," and that's hard to do  
Even harder to say when you know it's not true  
Even harder to write when you know that tonight  
There were people back home who tried talking to you  
But then you ignored them still  
All these questions they're for real like  
Who would you live for?  
Who would you die for?  
And would you ever kill?**

While Camila didn't really feel a deeper connection with the lyrics, she didn't mind it because at some parts of the song she could relate to it greatly. Usually she preferred to sing pieces that showcased her feelings, but this one couldn't have been further from her feelings. Perhaps it was Lauren's use of the reminder that some people truly didn't have someone to call their own in their lives? Or perhaps it was simply the strength that the song portrayed that drew Camila to it. Whatever the reason, she was on taking her time tonight.

**Oh, oh, I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on my ride  
Oh, I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on my ride  
Taking my time on my ride**

As Lauren watched Camila sing, she felt extremely proud of her. Despite all the anxiety and nervousness she had endured the last few days, Camila had managed to still floor her with her performance. If it were possible, it was better here than she could have ever imagined it in the studio. Camila's face glowed with confidence and happiness. Lauren could see that Camila had conquered her fears after all.

**I've been thinking too much  
I've been thinking too much  
I've been thinking too much  
I've been thinking too much  
(Help me)**

**I've been thinking too much (I've been thinking too much)  
I've been thinking too much (Help me)  
I've been thinking too much (I've been thinking too much)  
I've been thinking too much**   
  
**Oh, oh, I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on my ride  
Oh, I'm falling, so I'm taking my time  
Taking my time on my ride**

This was the last chance she had to impress the viewers. Coming into the final chorus, Camila pulled out all the stops. Giving herself over to the music, she danced and energized the entire studio. There wasn't a body left in the audience that was sitting. They were all on heir feet, cheering like they were at a real rock concert. In a moment of downtime, Camila had the chance to feel elated about how she was doing. But it wasn't over yet.

**Oh, oh, I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on my ride**

**Oh, I'm falling, so I'm taking my time on my  
  
I've been thinking too much  
Help me  
I've been thinking too much  
Help me  
  
I've been thinking too much (I've been thinking too much)  
I've been thinking too much (Help me)  
I've been thinking too much (I've been thinking too much)  
I've been thinking too much  
Help me**

Finishing her song, she put her head and her hand where she's holding the mic down dramatically, like she's tired, like she needs help. All the while squealing 'Yes!' to herself. She looked up again regardless of the lights and glare of the studio around her, Camila's eyes locked onto Lauren's. The brunette is smiling happily at Camila while standing and clapping for her. Camila managed to catch a glimpse of pride as well as what possibly was love in the coach's expression. She grinned at Lauren before taking a bow and scampering off to wait for the results.

However as soon as she wasn't within eyesight of the cameras, a person barreled into her. "Camila! That was great! Amazing, no, even more than amazing!" Ally gushed over her friend. Camila just rubbed the back of her neck.

"Was it really that good?" Now that she had come down from her high off performing, it would be nice to have some affirmation that she did as well as she thought. Her friend brought her in for a tight hug.

"Of course! I wouldn't lie to you, what kind of friend would I be? There's no way in hell you aren't moving on."

And of course, Ally was right. Standing on stage along with her fellow competitors, Camila felt a slight anxious tightness grip her stomach. She clenched her hands behind her back, trying to keep herself   
from fidgeting too much.

"And the votes are in. Camila and Zayn will be moving on to the next round!" It took Camila a second to process, and then when it hit her, she squealed. She looked over at Zayn who looked just as excited. Without really thinking, she pulled the guy into a tight hug. She blamed the adrenaline off of moving on for that one.

"And Lauren, the last choice is yours."

"I'll make this short and simple. We talked earlier today about how proud I am of all of you. I mean, you all forced me into a group hug for God's sake." This elicited a laugh from the audience as well as a light bush from Camila. However the lights were so bright and the stage was so hot that no one really noticed.

"I hate to have to choose, however, I'm choosing Keaton." The crowd clapped and cheered as the somewhat timid male had an excited look on his face. As the teammates walked off stage, it was a sobering experience for Camila. For the next few weeks, she'd be performing a live show every week until there were only four people left; one from each team. Thinking about it made Camila both nervous and determined. It was a strange combination of emotions, but she had been feeling a lot of odd things since starting The Voice.

As Blake's team got their turn to go, Camila could only think about one thing. How much she wanted to spend time with Lauren.

 

 


	14. And If I Never Finish?

"You did an amazing job today Camz!" Lauren gushed to her girlfriend. After Playoffs were over, Lauren and Camila snuck off to Lauren's office for some alone time. They didn't dare go to one of their apartments. It was far too easy for the press to cook up believable stories if they did. At least if they were in Lauren's office, they could feign that they were working on a demo track or the show.

Although neither woman could wait until the show was over and they could be more open about their relationship. They were willing to sneak around for now, but both of them were waiting for the minute they didn't have to anymore.

Camila smiled at the producer's praise. "Thanks Laur. You know, I really feel like I'm on top of the world right now."

"You should. The viewers picked you to move on. One of the greatest feelings is having people appreciate your work. To know that you're giving back to the people who listen to you. They wouldn't have voted for you if they didn't think you were good." Looking out the window of Lauren's office into the night sky,   
Camila sighed.

"You're right. It feels amazing." Camila turned to Lauren with a mischievous look in her eyes. "You know what would feel even more amazing?" Camila said in a low voice that made Lauren's spine tingle.

"W... What?" Lauren managed to stammer out. Camila had to stop herself from giggling at the effect she had on her girlfriend. But she also felt flattered that Lauren reacted in such a way to her. So she leaned in, a mere inch away from Lauren's face.

"If I could make out with my girlfriend." Lauren smirked.

"Well, who am I to refuse my girlfriend?" she wriggled her eyebrows before closing the gap between the two of them. Camila was still coming down from her high of moving into the next round, and when Lauren's lips touched hers, that fire started to roar inside her once again. She reached up to grab Lauren's neck and pull her closer.

The producer complied and leaned in close to the Latina, placing a hand on her waist. The two had shared a few heated kisses since they had gotten together, however this was different. It was more passionate and desperate.

Loving even.

As their lips moved against each other, Camila brought both of her hands down to Lauren's belt loops and with surprising strength, pulled her into her lap so Lauren was straddling her. The brunette let out a small yelp, which Camila chuckled at before pulling her girlfriend back down, smashing their lips together again.

Bringing both hands up to cup Camila's cheeks, Lauren's tongue danced against the other singer's. 'I guess all those vocal exercises paid off,' Lauren thought to herself. Camila's hands wandered Lauren's back, occasionally slipping under Lauren's shirt, feeling the soft skin that lay beneath the fabric.

Goosebumps formed on the tiny brunette's skin, gasping out loud. Lauren pulled back slightly, panting. "Camz, we should stop."

Camila looked up, a bit disappointed, but understanding. Neither one of them were ready for where they would go if they continued. She relented, removing her hands from under Lauren's shirt. She waited for Lauren to remove herself from her lap, but she stayed put. She could sense Camila's disappointment. So she rested her forehead against Camila's, grabbing one of her hands.

"You know it's not because I don't want to right? I want you more than anything, but I think we both know it's too soon." Camila closed her eyes.

"No, I know you're right. I guess I just got caught up in the moment. I really like you Lauren. Sometimes I forget that we haven't been together for very long." Lauren smiled and ran the back of her free hand down Camila's cheek.

"I feel the same about you. But I want this relationship to be special. I haven't been with someone in a very long time. And all the others meant nothing to me. Mere distractions from my screwed up reality. But with you, you might think that it's cliche, but you're different. God, this sounds like those bad romance movies that I hate. But I really want to make this work."

"That means a lot to me you know?" She said quietly, voice wavering slightly. Camila moved her head slightly to kiss Lauren on the cheek, before looking down at their still intertwined fingers, rubbing her thumb gently over Lauren's hand. "We can make it work babe." Then looked up at Lauren's deep green eyes, giving her a smile "We'd be crazy if we don't try at least. Please don't worry."

"I mean it Camz. You're special, even before I developed feelings for you. I knew that you and I, and I can't believe I'm about to say this, we're meant to be in each other's lives. As friends, girlfriends or whatever." Camila smiled.

Camila stared into the deep green eyes that were staring back at her. "You know, I was prepared to simply remain your friend. If you didn't have feelings for me that is. Sometimes I'm still amazed that you do."

"How could I not? Camila, you're literally perfect. At least for me you are. You get me, I don't know about you, but I think we just click." Camila nodded in agreement. "A lot of people don't understand how and why I put so much of myself into my work. Into the music. All that time and effort. A lot of my past partners didn't understand why I spent so much time at work when I could have been with them. But you, you're right there with me. You get it. That's not something you find everyday." Camila gave Lauren a somewhat crooked smile.

"You're so sentimental sometimes Jauregui. You're supposed to be a bad-ass, but sometimes you're such a sap." Lauren pouted.

"You bring it out of me Cabello, sue me." Camila kissed Lauren on the nose.

The coach wrinkled her nose as Camila's lips touched her face and Camila laughed.

"Maybe we can do something less?" Lauren raised an eyebrow teasingly.

"What do you have in mind Cabello?" Camila's hands ghosted up Lauren's sides.

"I was thinking that you'd shower your girlfriend in kisses. Is that acceptable?" Lauren pretended to think about it for a second.

"Hmm... I don't know." Camila swatted Lauren on the shoulder before the producer laughed loudly. "Just kidding, that would be more than acceptable.

Smiling, Camila boosted herself up to reach Lauren's lips. She had sat back and slid down a bit with Lauren sitting on her lap. Bringing their lips together once again, the two spent the rest of their night together, on the couch in Lauren's office. The lights of LA twinkling around them as the lost themselves in each other.

~

With the end of Playoffs, the rest of the contestants moved into Live Shows. It was essentially a free for all at this point. Every contestant would perform each week, with the viewers voting for their favorite performers. The bottom three would be put in the Hot seat, where they would have one chance to sing something, to prove to the nation that they should stay. The audience would vote to save one of the three. The other two would be eliminated. This would continue for four weeks until only four were left.

After their makeout session the night before, Camila had gone back to her apartment, unable to sleep. So instead she broke out her laptop, in search of possible songs to arrange and perform for Shows. She put together a decently long list of choices that she could run by Lauren when they saw each other next. Picking out songs from Taylor Swift, Ellie Goulding, The Weeknd, Sam Smith and other artists, she had quite the genre variety.

When she arrived at the studio, she sought out Lauren, but Harry found her first. Greeting the Latina warmly, Harry approached. "Morning Camila."

The singer smiled at the guy. "Hi Harry, how have you been?" She asked politely.

"I've been good. Nice job last night. You continue to impress people like that, you'll have a good chance of making it to finals." Camila's chest swelled with pride.

"You think so?" Harry nodded.

"Of course I do."

"That's really nice of you to say, thank you." The guy waved her off.

"It's true. Listen Camila, my intentions for seeking you out weren't entirely to compliment you, although you deserve it." Harry looked around to see if anyone was around, but they were alone in the small hallway.

"Look, I know about you and Lauren. And before you say something, she didn't say anything. I know Lauren, I figured it out." Camila sighed. So now there were two people who knew, this wouldn't bode well if they wanted to keep their relationship a secret.

"I... well... I don't know what to say." Camila stammered. Harry rested a hand on Camila's shoulder.

"You don't need to say anything. I just wanted to tell you.. Lauren and I might not be close anymore, but I'm sure she's told you that we were once friends." Camila nodded. Lauren had mentioned that.

"Regardless of our... issues, I don't want to see her unhappy and you make her happier than I've seen her in a long time. Don't break her heart." Camila smiled. Even though Lauren and the guy weren't on the best terms, Harry is still giving her the 'best friend chat.'

"I promise you, I have no intention to hurt her. Might I do it unintentionally? Perhaps. But I will do everything in my power to make sure that won't happen, and fix it if it does. She means a lot to me." Camila admitted. Harry gave her a short nod.

"See that you do. She'll be devastated if you leave her. That girl has been through enough. She's strong, but she still needs someone to lean on." Harry finished, turned and walked away, letting Camila process. The Latina is starting to see Harry in a new light. Lauren and Harry are always seemed to be at each other's throats, but lately they had been civil with each other. And if the conversation that Camila just had was any indication, Harry really did care about Lauren's well-being.

Not dwelling on it for long, Camila returned to her search for Lauren.

~

Meanwhile the person in question is sitting in a studio with Normani, catching up on who they had left and where to go next.

"So I have Keaton, Zayn and Camila left." Normani nodded.

"All strong picks. Although I'd put my money on the little bird." Lauren laughed.

"So would I. I know that Ally is Adam's pick and Louis is Harry's. I'm not sure about Blake, but I think it's some girl named Hailee. Not that it's set in stone, since it's really all up to the audience who makes it to the Final Four.

"They're all strong singers and performers. This year's finals should prove to be an interesting one." Lauren smiled.

"They should indeed. I know Camila and Ally are pretty good friends. So I wonder how that will turn out." Lauren's eyes lit up slightly as they talked about Camila and that didn't go unnoticed by Normani.

"So, how are you and Camila doing?"

Lauren raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

Normani shrugged. "How are you handling it? You seem so adamant on not telling her about your feelings, I'm just wondering how you're coping being around her so much."

Lauren sighed, slightly in relief. Normani seemingly didn't suspect a thing. She came up with a believable lie.

"It's been hard. I really like her. But nothing can happen. Maybe after the show if we keep in contact something will." Lauren lied smoothly. Normani seemed to buy it, as she looked at her friend sympathetically

"I feel for you girl. It sucks, wanting what you can't have. But based on how much time you two spend together, you'll probably remain friends after the show. Then you can show her the famous Jauregui Moves." Lauren's jaw dropped, laughing that Normani had really just used that phrase.

"Jauregui Moves? Really?" Normani just raised her hands in defense.

"Hey, you know me. I call them as I see them. Lauren shook her head before there was a knock at the door.

"Saved by the bell girl. Come in!" She called out. Camila poked her head in the door.

"Oh, I'm not interrupting anything am I? I can come back later." Camila said as she noticed the other singer in the room with Lauren. As she went to leave, Lauren called out to her.

"Wait Camila, you weren't interrupting anything. She was just leaving." Lauren glared at Normani who took the hint.

"Yeah, we were just talking about show stuff, it can wait until later. She's all yours." Normani winked at Lauren before qetting up and leaving.

"Take care of her." Normani whispered softly as she passed by Camila on the way out.

Camila's eyes went wide before looking back at Normani, whose back was to her. What she meant by that she didn't know. She hoped that she didn't know about her and Lauren, but the two were close, it was possible that he figured it out like Harry did.

"Camz? What do you need?" Camila was jolted out of her thoughts, before remembering why she came to see Lauren in the first place.

"Oh right." She pulled a folded up piece of paper out of her pocket, before walking over to Lauren and placing it on the table in front of her. She took the seat that had been previously been occupied by the celebrity advisor. "I couldn't sleep last night."

Giving Lauren a distinct look, letting her know the reason wasn't because of insomnia. "So I thought I'd come up with a list of ideas on what to sing at Live Shows. I just thought I'd get your opinions on it, if you have any suggestions.

Lauren looked the list over. Some of the songs that Camila had picked were pop infused rock style, something that was seeming to rub off from Lauren and onto Camila and occasionally some Alternative, R&B and Pop here and there. But other songs were complete curveballs. Lauren raised her eyebrow.

"The Thong Song by Sisqo? Really Camz?" The Latina blushed a bright shade of red. She thought she had erased that one.

"I... uh... What? It's a good song. That whole album.." Camila trailed off as Lauren gave her a look.

"That whole album? You have the album?" Camila looked at Lauren sheepishly.

"Yeah, Unleash the Dragon." Lauren looked at Camila incredulously.

"What is happening?" Lauren said more to herself than anyone. Camila buried her face in her hands. Lauren laughed and put a hand on Camila's back

"Hey, I'm just teasing." Camila gave Lauren a dirty look.

"Well now that you're done making fun of my music choices, any opinions on the list?" Lauren gave it a second look.

"Yeah, I think you should sing this one," She pointed to a song on the list, "At the first show. And this one," she pointed to another one, "I think I want to hear you sing in a booth, see if we can make it a demo. I have a feeling you'll do this one pretty well." Camila nodded, agreeing with Lauren.

"When you do you want to start it?" Lauren thought for a second.

"I think I have the instrumental version in my collection. If you want to go to the studio later today, we can test it out?" Lauren looked around, although knowing there was no one around before she whispered to Camila, "Besides, I'm looking forward to getting some alone time with you again."

The tone of Lauren's voice sent shivers down Camila back. Biting her lip and nodding, "Yeah, sure. Sounds good, when do you want to head out?" Lauren checked the time. It was only one in the afternoon.

"I'll come find you at three and we can go from there?" Camila nodded in agreement.

"Sure, I'll just go find Ally and practice with her for a little bit." Lauren felt a little twinge of jealousy. She knew it was irrational as Camila and Ally were just friends, but Lauren couldn't help it. Jealousy wasn't really a logical emotion. But she didn't let it show and simply nodded.

"Alright, I'll come find you later."

~

After two long hours, the couple were finally situated in Lauren's recording studio, Camila in the sound booth. Giving Lauren the thumbs up to start the music, the coach pressed play.

**I've looked a long time to find you,** **  
I drifted through the universe just to lay beside you.  
Anywhere you want me to take you I'll go, yeah.  
But there's things about me that you just don't know.  
  
If I told you where I've been, would you still call me baby?  
If I told you everything, would you call me crazy?  
'Cause baby I'm a dark star, dark star  
Oh  
'Cause baby I'm a dark star, dark star  
Oh  
  
Ohhh. Ohhh**

Even after only the first verse, Lauren knew that this is a good song for Camila, her voice fits perfectly with the music, however with some minor tweaking, maybe a key change, Lauren was confident that it would be more perfect.

**My heart was born out of the fire.** **  
I lost love a thousand years ago,  
And still I can't find her.  
Now I don't love like I used to, oh,  
But I've got stories I could tell you  
If I want to.  
  
If I told you where I've been, would you still call me baby?  
If I told you everything, would you call me crazy?  
'Cause baby I'm a dark star, dark star  
Oh  
'Cause baby I'm a dark star, dark star  
Oh  
  
Ohhh. Ohhh. Ohhh  
Ohh, ohh.**

Lauren pressed pause on the music before hitting the intercom button. "That sounded great Camila, I think this is definitely demo material. Coupled with your other one, I think it really showcases your range; both in singing range and genre capabilities. You think you could put together an arrangement when you have the time?" Camila nodded.

"Yeah, I still have the show to focus on, but I'm sure there'll be time to do something. It might be a while though." Camila removed the headphones from her ears and stepped out of the booth. Lauren stood up and gently wrapped her arms around the Latina's waist, pulling the singer closer.

"Of course. Whenever you have time. I'll still be here when you finish." Camila smiled and rested her arms behind Lauren's neck.

"And if I never finish?" It was a loaded question, but one Lauren, surprisingly, wasn't afraid to answer.

"I'll still be here." Those words warmed Camila's heart. It was reassurance that even if they didn't work out as a couple, that Lauren would still be there for her. Not that Camila was expecting them not to work out. Especially after that promise she made to Harry.

But sometimes shit happens. Camila knew that. Both of them would be devastated if they didn't work out. And Camila prayed that they never find out what they would feel like.

 

Songs used:

Dark Star by Jaymes Young


	15. Are You Trying To Tell Me Something?

"Dinah! I can't believe you booked me on such short notice!" Camila almost yelled at her best friend through her cell phone. She's running her hands through her hair in frustration.

"Are you telling me that I'm supposed to perform at one of the biggest clubs in L.A. two days before? Really man? Are you kidding me?" The frustrated Latina could almost feel Dinah's embarrassment through the phone.

"Hey, I know sorry isn't enough Mila, but I could have sworn I told you." Camila groaned.

She did not plan to wake up this way, she had groggily gotten out of bed to the sound of her phone ringing. And whatever she was expecting, it wasn't this.

"Well Dinah, you didn't. How am I supposed to have a set ready for Friday? On top of working on a song for The Voice?"

"That's the beauty of it all when you'll be performing Mila. Look, it's basically a talent night at _Insanity_. You're only going to have to perform one or two songs. I booked you a ten o'clock slot. You'll be up there for ten to fifteen minutes and you're done. Simple."

"Dinah..."

"Wait, before you just flat out say no, they called me to ask for you specifically. You know Insanity is one of the most popular nightclubs in the area. Their 'Artist Night' events are big. They call for the most promising up and coming artists to come out and perform. And there's probably going to be a bunch of producers and talent scouts there. Depending on how The   
Voice turns out, this could be a good fall back."

Camila secretly knew that it didn't really matter how the show went, but she went along with the idea anyways.

"I guess you're right. Ugh, thanks for the extra work Dinah I really appreciate it. You just caught me by surprise."

"Man, I'm sorry Mila. I could have sworn I told you." Camila considered just singing her demo track that Lauren had helped her with, and maybe squeeze in some songs she'd like to perform. Or at least coming up with a performable version of it.

"Hey, it's alright. It's just early and I haven't had my coffee yet. I do appreciate you getting me this gig. It's a bigger one than I've ever had."

"Yeah! Like I was telling you. They specifically wanted you. I guess they've been noticing you on The Voice."

"Yeah I suppose. Anyways, I guess I'd better get up and get to work. I'll talk to you later Dinah. Thanks again Cheech."

"Alright Mila. Good luck. Again, I'm sorry for not telling you sooner." And the two hung up. Camila flopped back in her bed and groaned. She was excited to be performing at Insanity, but she had a short amount of time to get a lot of work done. Forcing herself to get out of bed, she wandered over to her small kitchen and made herself a cup of coffee. Leaning up against the counter, she thought through how she was going to handle this.

The simple answer would be to do See You Again for sure, and have another couple of songs prepared as well. She could do songs she had already done on The Voice, but she wanted to avoid that if possible. Or she could perform songs she used to do before she was even on The Voice. She wanted her set to be unique, not something she had performed before though. See You Again was something that was on her demo list, but she had never actually performed it for anyone besides Lauren.

Speaking of her girlfriend, she could always call the producer and ask for advice. It was somewhat early though and she wasn't sure if she's awake yet. Pulling her phone out, she opened her contacts and scrolled down to Lauren's number. She smiled as she looked at the picture of her girlfriend. The two of them had taken photos of each other in the studio, goofing off one day. Camila had captured a particularly good candid of Lauren laughing.

The relationship between the two had been growing slowly, but regardless of that, the two were in each other's company as much as they could. It was irritating to both of them that they couldn't go out in public or spend the night with each other, but it was necessary until the show was over.

Camila's finger hovered over the call button for a minute, debating whether to call her girlfriend or not. Instead, she pressed the message button and shot off a quick text, asking if the producer is awake. She quickly got a reply signifying that she was. Hoping that Lauren wasn't busy, Camila dialed her number.

Lauren picked up on the second ring.

"Morning Camz. To what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call, so early in the morning?"

"Hey Lolo. I didn't wake you did I?" Camila asked nervously.

"Nah. I was up anyways. Don't worry." Camila let out a sigh of relief. She hated being woke up by phone calls and therefore hated doing it to other people. "And not that I'm not happy to hear your voice first thing in the morning, but I know you didn't call just to chat."

"You already know me way too well Lolo." She heard her girlfriend laugh on the other end. "But yeah I did call you for a reason. Advice actually. My manager/best friend, neglected to tell me that she booked me for 'Artist Night' at _Insanity_ this Friday. She just told me this morning, and I'm completely unprepared. I don't really know what to do. I want to do it, but I have no idea what to sing or anything."

"That's great though Camz! _Insanity_ is a really big club. I've spun tracks there before. It's a really nice venue. Their 'Artist Night' events are really top notch. I have talent scouts go there all the time to find potential artists to sign to   
the label."

"Yeah, that's what Dinah told me too. But it's such short notice. What should I do?"

"Well, do you have any ideas of your own?" Camila relayed her thoughts about what she'd perform to Lauren.

"Well I think that sounds like a solid plan. I think you're right about not performing songs you already have. Although I'd suggest perhaps performing more upbeat, dance songs if you're going to be performing at a club. You think you'd want to meet up today and brainstorm?"

"Yes! Thank you Lolo. You're the best!" Camila gushed. She heard Lauren laugh at her through the phone line.

"Yeah I am." She said cockily. "But anyway, would you be ready in a couple hours?" Camila almost nodded, before remembering that Lauren couldn't see her through that phone.

"Of course. I'd never pass up an opportunity to see my girlfriend." Camila smiled, even though Lauren couldn't see her.

"Perfect, I'll see you later babe." Lauren said before hanging up. Camila's heart warmed at Lauren calling her babe. She might have been overreacting to such a simple term of endearment, but she couldn't help it. It made their relationship feel even more real than it already was. But for now, she only had a couple hours to get ready.

-

Camila walked through the lobby, saying a quick hello to Elise before going up. The receptionist waved at the Latina that often frequented Lauren's floor. As the elevator stopped at the Lauren's floor, Camila bee-lined for Lauren's office. Knocking on the door before pushing it open, she was greeted by the sight of her girlfriend immersed in her computer.

The brunette looked up and grinned at her girlfriend. "Hey Camz." She patted a chair next to her, gesturing for the Latina to come sit next to her. As Camila sat down, Lauren leaned over and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hey Lolo. Not that I'm not grateful, but shouldn't you be on set right now?" Lauren shrugged.

"I guess, but they're not going to kill me if I don't show up once. Besides Zayn and Keaton are both situated for the week. I talked with the both of them earlier this week and they both know what they're doing for the first show. Don't worry. Worst case scenario, Normani is there today and they can go to her." Camila nodded.

"Okay, well. I just didn't know who to go to. I mean, I'm excited that _Insanity_ wanted me to perform, but it's such a short notice, courtesy of Dinah, that it's just really overwhelming." Lauren turned to Camila and placed her hands on the Latina's shoulders.

"Alright Camz, just take a deep breath. It'll be alright. Realistically, this is such a smaller audience than the entire country." Camila laughed. Lauren had a point.

"Yeah, there's that. But I guess for Playoffs, I had more time to prepare." Lauren nodded sympathetically.

"Yes, but I know you can do this. I know you said you were thinking about singing See You Again, but like I said on the phone, you're singing in a club. A popular nightclub at that. I'd suggest you sing something that people can dance to. Besides, didn't you have a set list before you started at The Voice? You told me that you used to sing small sports bars and stuff right?" Camila nodded.

"Yeah, I just kind of wanted to mix it up a little bit."

"I totally understand where you're coming from, but maybe for a venue like Insanity, you might want to sing stuff that you're more comfortable and experienced at. At least for now, since you don't have a ton of time to prepare." Camila agreed with Lauren's train of thought.

"You're probably right. But that still begs the question, what should I sing?" Lauren pulled up a list of songs from her collection.

"Here, why don't you look through these and see if any catch your eye. It's my club track list. Maybe you can find something you like." Camila looked at her girlfriend appreciatively before focusing on the list of music tracks in front of her. Within a few minutes, Camila had locked on to a couple different tracks that she pointed out to Lauren.

"How about these two?" Lauren looked a little closer to see that Camila had chosen _Slow Down_ and _Confident_. Lauren nodded in approval.

"Good picks Camz. Although, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to tell me something with one of your song choices." Camila blushed a little bit. She hadn't thought of it like that, but once Lauren brought it up, she couldn't think of anything else.

"I... uh... Well..." Lauren laughed at Camila's stuttering before leaning in to kiss Camila's lips. The Latina could feel her girlfriend smiling as their lips moved against each other. When both of them needed air, they broke apart. Lauren rested her forehead against Camila's and whispered, "For the record, I feel the same way about you."

Camila's heart jumped. Her face broke out into a crooked grin. The feeling that Camila was experiencing was indescribable, something she had only imagined. She closed the gap between her and Lauren again, pressing their lips together in a searing kiss. Lauren was the first to pull back, but her eyes were sparkling with happiness.

"I'll never get tired of that." Camila nodded her head in agreement.

"Me either." Lauren looked back to her computer screen.

"Anyways, are you sure that these are the songs that you're going to perform?"

"I think so, what do you think?"

"Babe, this is your gig. It's all up to you." Lauren squeezed Camila's shoulder reassuringly. The Latina warmed up at Lauren's use of the word babe again. Camila put her hands over Lauren's, joining them together. Looking up at Lauren's eyes, she smiled.

"You know, I love it when you call me babe."

Lauren smiled. "Honestly I didn't even know I was doing it. But I'll keep that in mind for the future." Lauren winked and Camila laughed. Lauren grabbed an empty USB drive from one of her desk drawers and loaded Camila's track choices onto it. Standing up, she offered Camila her hand. The Latina took the offered hand and Lauren pulled her to her feet.

"Let's go get you ready for Friday."

-

Camila was waiting for her turn to go on at Insanity. The club was pretty packed that night. Artist Nights were always popular events, especially in the production business. Insanity was popular for booking artists that had high potential to be the 'next big thing.' However, surprisingly, Camila wasn't too nervous to go on. Perhaps Lauren use it was much less nerve wrecking than singing live on TV in front of the entire country.

When she had gotten to the club earlier that evening, she had been greeted by one of the club owners, who was very friendly and welcoming to her. He had mentioned that he had saw her on The Voice and immediately fallen in love with her voice. Camila felt flattered at the compliments. It was extremely gratifying to actually have people in the real world take notice of her talents.

Of course, she knew they did, but it was a different experience to actually be approached by people. She had watched and listened to some other performers that night, and they were all extremely good. Of course, they'd have to be to be able to book a gig like this. Someone tapped Camila on her shoulder, and she turned around only to be surprised by who it was.

"Lauren! I thought you said you couldn't make it!"

Camila threw her arms around the producer, and had to try very hard not to kiss her girlfriend.

"And miss my girlfriend sing at one of the hottest clubs in LA? Not a chance." Camila's face lit up with a bright smile.

"Well, it means the world to me that you showed up. And not that I'm not grateful, but how did you make your way back here?" Lauren looked at Camila skeptically.

"Really Camz? I'm one of the top producers in the business. I have my ways." She said mysteriously. Camila just chuckled and shook her head.

"Whatever Jauregui. I'm up soon, so you might want to go get a good viewing spot." She winked at the producer, who just blew her a kiss and walked away. Knowing that her girlfriend was here, Camila felt the need to perform perfectly.Not that she didn't before, but there was more of a reason now. Like Lauren had mentioned before, these songs conveyed a message. And even if no one besides Lauren understood, it was still important to Camila.

An assistant made his way over to the Latina and informed her that she was up soon. She thanked him and made her way to side stage. Watching the performer currently up there, she tried to put herself in the zone. She had performed live in front of millions of viewers. Singing a couple of songs in front of a packed club was nothing. As the guy before her finished his set, the crowd cheered as he walked off. The producer of the night introduced her.

"And you know her from The Voice. Hailing from Team Lauren, please welcome, Camila Cabello!" The crowd cheered in recognition of who would be gracing the stage next.

Microphone in hand, Camila walked out on stage, the stage lights illuminating her vision.

"How you doing L.A.?" She shouted into the mic. The crowd roared in response. Camila tried to search for Lauren, but the mass of people and dimmed dance floor made it difficult. "This one is going out there for our favorite coach, Lauren Jauregui!" Camila hadn't exactly planned to dedicate the song to Lauren, but she thought it was appropriate, and didn't think it gave anything away.

**Now that I have captured your attention  
I wanna steal ya for a rhythm intervention  
Mr. TSA*, I'm ready for inspection  
Sh- sh- show me how you make a first impression**

The electro sound of the song immediately got the crowd pumped up. This was definitely different than playing a sports bar, or even performing on The Voice. Camila felt exhilarated being up on stage, energetically dancing and pumping her fist in the air.

**Oh, oh  
Can we take it nice and slow, slow  
Break it down and drop it low, low  
Cause I just wanna party all night in the neon lights 'til you can't let me go**

As Lauren watched her girlfriend perform, she fell even more in love with her. Seeing Camila in the passion of the music warmed the producer's heart. And knowing that the song was directed at her, in a way that no one else knew. Well it was special. Lauren couldn't think of her life before Camila. And here in the moment, she only thought of it with the Latina in it.

**I just wanna feel your body right next to mine  
All night long  
Baby, slow down the song  
And when it's coming closer to the end hit "Rewind"  
All night long  
Baby, slow down the song  
  
Oh oh oh oh  
Yeah, baby, slow down the song  
Oh oh oh oh  
Yeah, baby, slow down the song**

Camila wasn't much of a dancer, but she knew enough about performing and had been working enough with Lauren that she got by. And judging from the energy of the crowd, they were as into the song as she was.

**If you want me I'm accepting applications  
So long as we can keep this record on rotation  
You know I'm good with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation  
Breathe me in, breathe me out  
So amazing  
  
Oh, oh  
Can we take it nice and slow, slow  
Break it down and drop it low, low  
Cause I just wanna party all night in the neon lights 'til you can't let me go**

Camila couldn't do anything besides think of her girlfriend. Although she couldn't see her, she knew Lauren was there, listening and watching. The Latina also couldn't help being a tiny bit turned on from the experience. Add together the adrenaline of performing in the hottest nightclub in LA, the energy of the crowd, and the meaning of the song for her, it was a lost cause. It was going to be really hard not to jump the producer when Camila next saw her.

**I just wanna feel your body right next to mine  
All night long  
Baby, slow down the song  
And when it's coming closer to the end hit "Rewind"  
All night long  
Baby, slow down the song  
  
Oh oh oh oh  
Yeah, baby, slow down the song  
Oh oh oh oh  
Yeah, baby, slow down the song**

Camila and Lauren had decided to leave the bridge part to Selena's background vocals, so Camila had a change to gauge the audience, and hype them up. Dancing with them.

**Breathe me in, breathe me out  
The music's got me going  
Breathe me in, breathe me out  
No stoppin til the morning  
Breathe me in, breathe me out  
You know I'm ready for it  
For it, for it!  
Yeah!  
  
Breathe me in, breathe me out  
The music's got me going  
Breathe me in, breathe me out  
No stoppin til the morning  
Breathe me in, breathe me out  
You know I'm ready for it  
For it, for it!  
Yeah!  
  
**

Lauren danced along with the crowd, her eyes never leaving the gorgeous Latina on stage. She was proud of Camila for pulling this together on such short notice and doing so spectacularly. Lauren had never felt this level of pride for anyone before. Everything that Camila did made Lauren fall a little bit more for the Latina. And Lauren knew that it wouldn't be long before she really did fall head over heels in love with her girlfriend.

**I just wanna feel your body right next to mine  
All night long  
Baby, slow down the song  
And when it's coming closer to the end hit "Rewind"  
All night long  
Baby, slow down the song  
  
Oh oh oh oh  
Yeah, baby, slow down the song  
Oh oh oh oh  
Yeah, baby, slow down the song**

As Camila finished her song, the crowd cheered and hollered for the talented Latina. "You like that L.A.?" The deafening sound the crowd made affirmed that they did. "Well, I've got one more for all of you!" The crowd clapped and cheered in anticipation of Camila's next song.

**Are you ready?**

**It's time for me to take it  
I'm the boss right now  
Not gonna fake it  
Not when you go down  
'Cause this is my game  
And you better come to play**

A definite deviation from Selena, Demi's song was met with the same enthusiasm as the song before it. The track still had the somewhat electro feel, but it was still very different.

**I used to hold my freak back  
Now I'm letting go  
I make my own choice  
Yeah I run this show  
So leave the lights on  
No, you can't make me behave  
  
So you say I'm complicated  
That I must be outta my mind  
But you've had me underrated  
Rated, rated**

**What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being  
What's wrong with being confident?  
What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being  
What's wrong with being confident?**

One thing Camila did have to say about this song; the chorus was certainly repetitive. However, that didn't stop her from dancing about the stage. Watching people bounce and dance to the song was motivating for Camila to keep up the same energy level. She was on a performance high and nothing was going to bring her down.

**It's time to get the chains out  
Is your tongue tied up?  
'Cause this is my ground  
And I'm dangerous  
And you can get off  
But it's all about me tonight  
  
So you say I'm complicated  
That I must be outta my mind  
But you've had me underrated  
Rated, rated**

Lauren had eyed some talent scouts in the crowd alongside her. She noticed that they were gazing up at the Latina approvingly. Lauren couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy . 'She's mine guys. Back the fuck up.' If she didn't want to before, now she really wanted to sign Camila to the label. But that would have to wait. For now.

**What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being  
What's wrong with being confident?  
What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being  
What's wrong with being confident?  
What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being  
What's wrong with being confident?  
What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being  
What's wrong with being confident?**

The thing about repetitive lyrics was that although easy to remember, the performer still had to differentiate each line from the other. If they didn't, the song would just be one long song of a single line. And that's no fun. So Camila tried her best to give the song some justice.

**So you say I'm complicated  
But you've had me underrated  
  
What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being  
What's wrong with being confident?  
What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being  
What's wrong with being confident?  
What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being  
What's wrong with being confident?  
What's wrong with being, what's wrong with being  
What's wrong with being confident?**

Ending off her song, Camila took a bow. The crowd cheered and whistled in approval of the Latina, Lauren right along with them. As Camila made her way off stage, Lauren hurried to meet her girlfriend. Still coming down from her performer's high, when she entered the small dressing room set aside for performers, she wasn't expecting the tight hug that she received from the producer. Coming out of her surprise, she wrapped her arms tightly around Lauren's neck. Luckily, the room was empty at the moment.

"You did great Camz. Not going to lie, it was really hot seeing you up on stage." Camila laughed at Lauren's statement. And whispered in her ear.

"Well, it really turned me on being up there too." Lauren's breath hitched and she groaned. She let go of Camila and stepped back a little bit.

"You can't say things like that to me Camila. It's already hard enough to keep myself off of you."

Camila raised an eyebrow. "Well, maybe I don't want you to hold back." Lauren sighed.

"Babe, you know we can't." Camila's shoulders sagged, but she nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know. It's just hard. I want nothing more than to be able to hold your hand in public, kiss you without worrying who sees and bring you home with me without thinking about the consequences." Lauren smiled in understanding.

"I know you do. I would give just about anything for that. But the show will be over in a little over a month. Then we're free to do what we want. I just don't..." Camila cut her off.

"I know, winning The Voice, people know that we're dating and accuse me of sleeping with you to win and mess up my career. I get it Lauren, really. I'm just irritated by the circumstances." And Lauren couldn't do anything but agree with her girlfriend. As the two walked out of the dressing room and out to the dance floor to watch a couple more artists before heading back to their respective apartments, they failed to notice the lone cameraman snap a couple pictures of them in each other's company.

 


	16. Trust Me

_**Is Lauren Jauregui finally playing the field again?** _

_By: Kelly Hines_

_For years, professional producer Lauren Jauregui has never showed interest in anyone. But all that might be changing. Reports indicate that the producer attended an event at the nightclub, Insanity. What makes this attendance stand out was who she went to watch. Team member and fellow singer on The Voice, Camila Cabello. Jauregui was seen attending the event as Cabello performed and images were captured of the two of them dancing together later that night. What's more, Cabello is on record dedicating one of her songs to Jauregui. Is this just inspiration driven appreciation or something more? It's widely known that Lauren Jauregui is interested in women. Could Camila Cabello be a love interest for the Producer? If she is, what does that mean for Cabello's stint on The Voice? We'd love to hear your thoughts on this relationship between the two._

-

Camila had woken up, again, to the sound of her phone ringing. Groaning, she rolled over to grab the offending device off her nightstand. Glancing at the caller ID she saw that it was Dinah and begrudgingly picked up. "What is it Dinah?" Camila hissed into the phone.

"Camila! Have you seen the internet today? Or the paper. Or the tabloids?"

"Of course not. I was sleeping before I was rudely awoken by you. I haven't looked at anything except your name on my caller ID." Camila said grumpily.

"You need to see this. Open up your computer and search your name." Camila groaned.

"Dinah, can this wait?"

"No Walz, it can't." Camila sighed and pulled herself out of bed, heading over to her laptop.

"What is this about Dinah?" Camila asked her manager as she waited for her computer to boot up, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"It's probably better that you see it for yourself." Camila opened up her internet browser and typed her name into the search field. Clicking on the 'News' tab on Google, her jaw dropped at what she saw.

"What the fuck?!" Camila exclaimed. All she saw were articles about her and Lauren at _Insanity_ the night before. Clicking on one of the articles, she didn't bother reading it, but stared at the images on her screen. The two had stayed at the club for an hour or so after Camila had finished. The pictures that were taken were innocent enough, it just looked like two friends dancing.

"The media is having a field day over you and Lauren, Mila. I've been getting calls all morning, asking for a comment. I've turned them all away obviously."

Camila couldn't reply. She was too busy staring at the pictures of her and her girlfriend. This was exactly what the two didn't want to happen. While there were no explicit indications of a relationship between the two of them, the rumors were enough.

Sensing that Camila wanted to left alone, Dinah spoke. "Hey Camila, look, I'll talk to you a little bit later. Give you time to process this. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Thanks for telling me Dinah. I would have walked out my door and probably gotten swarmed if you hadn't warned me." Camila said distantly before hanging up.

Scrolling down the page, she skimmed the article. It was basically theory crafting possible reasons that Camila and Lauren were at the club together, and why Camila had dedicated one of her songs to Lauren. Most of which included a steamy romance.

Looking down at the comments, there were a mix of reactions.

_"They seem so cute together. They should date if they aren't already!"_

_"Isn't Lauren like her coach and judge though?"_

_"That Camila is such a... Taking advantage of Lauren to win The Voice? What a bi-"_

And most of them continued like that.

Camila shut her laptop lid and slouched back in her chair, running her hands through her messy brown hair. She knew it had been a risk being seen together the night before, but she never imaged that the media would jump on a possible relationship between them that quickly. She really needed to talk to Lauren. Checking her watch, it was only eight in the morning. She expected Lauren is probably still asleep, the coach making it a habit to sleep in on Saturdays.

But this was important. So she picked up her phone and dialed Lauren's number.

"Hey, you've reached Lauren Jauregui. If I haven't picked up, I'm obviously away from my phone or I've forgotten it somewhere again. Either way, leave me a message and I'll get back to you."

Camila groaned in frustration.

"Laur, it's Camila. I don't know if you're still asleep or in the shower or something. But we need to talk. Call me as soon as you get this, please." Camila pressed the 'End' button and set her phone on the table. She sighed and got up to make herself a cup of coffee, she was going to need it.

Despite her jitteriness over the whole situation, Camila still spent most of the morning in her apartment, not daring to go out. She needed to finish up her performance for Live Shows. She had gotten all her stage needs straightened out earlier in the week, but she still needed to perfect her arrangement and practice. The Latina glanced over at her phone at least every ten minutes, but ten o'clock came around and her girlfriend still hadn't called. Camila was getting worried. Lauren was a late sleeper, but Camila had assumed that the brunette would have been woken up by someone this morning like Dinah had woken her up. But nothing. Radio silence.

Camila tried to concentrate on her arrangement, but the lack of response from Lauren was taking up most of her focus. She decided to take a break and make herself a snack. She sat down at her kitchen table with a PB&J sandwich, and just as she was about to take a bite, her phone rang. Immediately putting down her food in favor of her phone, she picked up the call when she saw it was the girl she had been worrying overall morning.

"Lauren! You got my message right?" Camila blurted out.

"Yeah, and I know what you want to talk about. But, I think it shouldn't be over the phone. Can I come over to your apartment?" Camila was immediately concerned. The two had taken very careful precautions to not go to the other's apartment. But of course, that reason was blown completely out of the water.

"You sure? We can meet somewhere..." Camila trailed off, realizing how stupid that idea was.

"No, I'm already out and about. I'll just come over. You don't need to leave your place. I'm sure there are paparazzi camping outside your building, just waiting for you to leave."

"But what about you? Are you sure you should be seen coming to my apartment?" Lauren sensed her girlfriend's justified concern.

"It's fine. I'll explain everything when I see you."

"Okay Lauren, I'll see you in a bit." Camila answered.

"See you. Everything will be alright babe." Camila smiled at Lauren's use of the pet name. Even when she was worried out of her mind, Lauren knew how to make her feel better. But she was so caught up in her worrying, she failed to notice the slight crack in Lauren's voice.

-

Camila quickly ate her sandwich and went to go throw on a tank top and shorts before Lauren got to her apartment. She didn't know how long of a wait she had, so the Latina started to straighten up her apartment a bit. Lauren had never actually been inside the singer's living space, only seeing the outside of the building.

Before long, Camila heard a soft knock at her door. Looking through the peephole before opening it, she saw the tiny brunette standing outside her door. Unlocking the door, she smiled at the sight of her girlfriend.

"Hey Laur." Lauren returned the Latina's smile.

"Hey Camz, can I come in?" Camila nodded and stepped aside to allow Lauren inside. Shutting the door, Camila turned around to see Lauren looking around the apartment.

"Nice place you have. It's very... you." Camila blushed a little bit.

"Lauren... I..." Lauren cut her girlfriend off.

"Wait a second Camila. I know you want to talk, but can I go first?" Camila nodded and gestured to the sofa. Lauren sat down, beckoning Camila to come sit by her. The Latina sat her butt on the couch next to Lauren, and waited.

"So, I'm guessing you found out about what the media is saying, right?" Camila nodded her head in acknowledgement. Lauren took a deep breath.

"I feel like this is my fault. I was the one who came to your performance and convinced you to stay longer last night..." Camila took hold of one of Lauren's hands that was sitting in her lap.

"Hey, there's nothing to feel guilty about. Lolo, I wanted you there. If this was the consequence, then so be it." Lauren glanced over at Camila then looked down to their intertwined hands.

"I had to see the producers this morning." Lauren said suddenly. Camila's breath hitched. She hadn't expected that, she hoped that Lauren wasn't in trouble.

"What did they say?" Camila asked cautiously.

"They wanted to question me about the news stories. That's why I didn't call you earlier, or even pick up when you did, I was in that meeting."

"For two hours?" Camila couldn't believe that would take that long. But Lauren nodded.

"They had a lot to go over with me. They had to amend my contract." Camila, sensing her girlfriend's nervousness, ran her hand down the brunette's cheek. This gave Lauren the nerve to continue.

"Since there's no explicit pictures of us doing anything, they could only question me and were forced to take my word for it." Lauren shook her head.

"I had to tell them that nothing was going on between us Camz. That you were nothing but my protégé. They asked me why I was at Insanity last night and I told them that you had asked me for help, and being a good mentor, I did. I had gone to see how my help   
had paid off. Then they wanted to know why we we're dancing together and spending time together. I just said that I was trying to create a trusting relationship between us. I don't think they believed me, if the addendum in my contract has anything to say about it.

"What does it say?" Camila hesitantly asked. Lauren hung her head.

"That if we're found out doing anything, they'll terminate my contract from The Voice, and they'll kick you off. And that they'll release details about why we had to be let go. They don't want a scandal to negatively influence the ratings. And I guess they'll drag us both through the mud to make sure it doesn't happen."

"That doesn't sound too horrible..." Camila started. Really, Camila thought of things worse than that.

 

"Remember though that NBC produces the show. They can make life very difficult for you Camila. And for me. If they want to, they could influence jobs you'll get in the future."

"Oh." Camila said. "So what do we do?" She continued.

Lauren looked over at Camila.

"You're going to hate this, and trust me, I do to. But we can't do anything together at all until the show is over. And we'd have to take it slow after the show is over." Camila's heart broke a little bit.

"But... Laur..."

"I mean it Camz. I could care less about my career, but I told you. I won't be responsible for wrecking yours. I'm not worth that." Camila's emotions flared slightly.

"Lauren Michelle Jauregui Morgado! Don't you dare say that! You are worth it." Camila cupped Lauren's face in her hands.

"If I had to choose between my job in music and you, I'd always pick you." A tear ran down Lauren's face and Camila went to wipe it off her face with her thumb.

"Camz... It would kill me to do that to you. You're so talented, you deserve every chance to become the next top artist. It wouldn't be forever. Just until the show is over. Once it is, we could start hanging out as friends, then develop a relationship."

"Why would we have to wait so long after the show?"

"So it's a more realistic timeline. If we jump into a relationship right after the show is over, everyone, including the producers, will know that this has been going on a lot longer than it was supposed to. Especially with the rumors floating around already." Camila cursed her girlfriend for making sense.

"I hate this." Camila said again. "I don't know what to do with myself without you." Camila realistically knew this wasn't really a breakup in the sense that they didn't like each other anymore, but it still felt that way.

"I..." Lauren stopped, thinking about what she wanted to say. She knew what she wanted to say, but was debating with herself if it was too soon. Deciding to take the plunge, she started talking, grabbing Camila's hands, intertwining her fingers with the Latina's.

"Camz..." She started into the electric blue pools that were peering back at her. "You know, I'm not usually a cheesy, romantic person, but you always bring it out of me. I hate you for that sometimes." Camila laughed, Lauren along with her. "But from the first time I saw you at Blinds, I knew you were special. You were and are a beautiful person. Not just looks, but that is a bonus." Lauren winked. The Latina blushed a deep shade of red.

"But you have a beautiful soul. You're an amazing person. And you have the patience and perseverance to put up with me. There's something amazing about that in and of itself. Ever since we starting spending time together, I've felt myself... developing feelings that I've never felt for anyone before." Lauren huffed, trying to stop being wordy and just force the words out.

"I guess, this whole exposure thing, and the addition to my contract, has accelerated my feelings. Or maybe I always felt this way for you, but the real possibility of losing you makes me want to voice them." Camila cut Lauren off.

"You'll never lose me Lauren." The brunette laughed, a couple of emotional tears dripping from her eyes.

"You can't know that Camz. Who's to say that we did sneak around and get caught and your career was in the tank. If I were you, I'd feel so resentful of me. I couldn't stand that Camz. That would hurt more than anything. To have you hate me" The Latina unwrapped her hand from Lauren's to run her fingers down her soft skin.

"Lauren, you have to believe me, trust me, that I would never do that to you." Lauren leaned into Camila's touch.

"You can't promise me that. Everyone leaves eventually." Camila's heart broke a little bit at Lauren's admission. She untangled her hands from Lauren's, and wrapped both her arms tightly around Lauren, pulling her impossibly close. Lauren snuggled into Camila's hair, sniffling a little bit, trying very hard not to cry.

Trying to comfort and reassure the brunette, Camila said the only words that came to her mind. "Laur, I physically can't leave you. You mean the world to me. I can't see my life without you. You have my heart. I love you so much."

Lauren pulled back immediately and looked wide eyed at Camila. The Latina felt self-conscious with Lauren's staring, feeling that she had gone too far. "I mean... I don't expect you to say it back, but I just wanted you to know..." Camila trailed off.

Silently, Lauren took one of Camila's hands and started tracing the palm lines. "I never thought... That I could be so attached to another person. And you know, it scared me at first. I don't do emotions or feelings, but when I'm with you, it's like I'm a whole different person. It's cheesy as hell, but I can't help it. I'm not the best with words, but there is one thing I am good at."

Lauren looked up into Camila's eyes. She took a deep breath.

**Heart beats fast  
Colors and promises   
How to be brave?   
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?   
But watching you stand alone,   
All of my doubt suddenly goes away somehow.   
One step closer**

Music was the biggest way Lauren could let her feelings go. She desperately wanted to just say the words, but it was like her mind was keeping her from explicitly saying it. So she said it in the only way she could think of at the current moment.

**I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you   
For a thousand years   
I'll love you for a thousand more**

Camila's eyes glistened with tears as she listened to Lauren's alto voice. She knew what Lauren was trying to say to her. And her heart leapt at the prospect. The conversation had started out pretty terribly, but it was on track to being one of the most meaningful in Camila's life.

**Time stands still  
Beauty in all she is   
I will be brave   
I will not let anything take away   
What's standing in front of me   
Every breath   
Every hour has come to this   
One step closer**

Lauren noticed the salty tears dripping down Camila's face, and without breaking eye contact, she reached up to gently wipe them off the crying Latina's cheek. Camila smiled at the contact, it made her skin tingle.

**I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you   
For a thousand years   
I'll love you for a thousand more   
And all along I believed I would find you   
Time has brought your heart to me   
I have loved you for a thousand years   
I'll love you for a thousand more   
One step closer   
One step closer**

At the end of the verse, Lauren leaned in towards Camila, her voice becoming impossibly quiet. Camila could hardly make out what Lauren said.

"Camz... I..." Lauren trailed off, frustration with herself apparent to Camila. She placed a finger over Lauren's lips.

"Don't worry Laur. I know." She whispered. The Latina rested her forehead against Lauren's, her eyes drifting shut, allowing herself to forget about all the media and real life problems standing between the two of them. Only thinking about the beautiful brunette sitting in front of her. She felt Lauren's head move against hers and suddenly there was a pair of lips right in front of hers.

Leaning in to close the gap, the two women shared a kiss. It was like all the others, and yet this was different. Maybe it was the gravity of their situation, maybe it was the emotional high they were on from admitting their love for each other, or maybe it was a combination of all those things and more. But whatever it was, it shot a warm, content feeling through Camila's body, like someone had just pulled her in for the tightest hug possible. Her hand creeping up Lauren's neck, Camila tried to pull her closer. Their lips melded even more into each other as they let their passions for each other go.

Breaking apart, Camila stared at Lauren through heavily lidded eyes.

"Wow." Lauren nodded in agreement.

"Laur... I know we're in an impossible position, but I can't just let you go. I can't just ignore my feelings, or yours. Whatever happens to us, we're in this together."

Lauren swallowed and slowly nodded her head. It was a risk, but Lauren knew that the Latina was worth it. She was worth everything to Lauren.

Lauren smiled while looking at her girlfriend, then playfully said. "So... Morgado. How do you know that?"

Camila became flustered for a second then laughed it up. She winked at Lauren and said. "I have my ways Jauregui... and for the record, mine's Estrabao."

"C'mon. let's watch a movie!" Lauren was pulled off from the couch so they can get closer to the television.

Yep. She isn't going to run from this one.


	17. Live Shows: Top 12

Camila spent the remainder of her weekend in her apartment. She dare not brave the outside world for fear of being swarmed by the paparazzi. It was a new experience for her. She had never been a big name before The Voice. And after she became popular on the show, she had a few reporters follow her around, but it was nothing compared to now. The Latina had occasionally looked out her window and took notice of multiple reporters camping outside her building. How Lauren had gotten into her apartment with minimal difficulties was beyond her.

And speaking of the producer, after their little moment, the two had talked at length about what they were going to do. They had both agreed to lay low for the rest of the show, but they weren't going to let the reporters or the producers keep them from spending time with each other. They would go about their lives they had been. They would just be a little more careful whenever they're together in public. Lauren's recording studio was one thing, but seeing both women at a club together was   
a whole other issue.

Being confined to her apartment for the weekend had given Camila ample amounts of   
work on her song for the first Live Show. What with all the excitement and work that went into performing at Insanity, Camila didn't have a huge amount of time to get everything in order. Sure, she had picked out a song and worked on it a little bit with Lauren, but it was nowhere near completed.

She can honestly say to herself that it is going nowhere therefore the singer had spent her entire weekend, sat in front of her laptop, trying to finish up her arrangement. As she worked, her mind sometimes wandered over to her talk with Lauren. The two had a real heart to heart talk about their feelings. Lauren may not have said those three little words outright, but she said them in her own way.

And to Camila, that meant the world. Even in the wake of all their relationship drama with the press and the upcoming stress of The Voice, Camila had never been happier. One of the things her talk with Lauren had done for her was assure her that this was all temporary. All the media coverage, all the pressure, everything, it would all dissipate with time. It was the way of the industry. Lauren and Camila's rumored relationship would only be headline news until the next big story came up.

Then their time in the eye of the press would be old news. Camila was very much looking forward to when that happened. But for now, she and Lauren had to be cautious. Although, Camila wasn't only doing that for herself if she was completely honest. As much as Lauren said she didn't care about her career, just like Lauren's feelings about ruining Camila's upcoming career, the Latina couldn't do that   
to the producer. As much as Camila had meant her words about Lauren trusting her to never hate her, she couldn't help but see some truth in the brunette's words.

If Camila were to mess up Lauren's career, she would never forgive herself. She couldn't imagine Lauren just being okay with her career being over just because she had decided to try a relationship with her. So for both their sakes, they decided to lay low. It was just better for everyone involved.

Monday rolled around and Camila was feeling her nerves kick in. It was going to be the first time she had showed her face in public since the story about her and Lauren broke. And to top it off, it was also the night of Live Shows. So, instead of just having to have the LA press, she would be in the eye of the entire country. No pressure though right?

When she arrived on set, she tried to sneak in as silently as possible. But she should have known that wouldn't be possible. As soon as she had stepped foot on set, all the contestants present had stopped to take a glance at her. She could feel all the eyes. Some people tried to be subtle, but others just straight out stared. Camila quickly looked at the floor to avoid the looks and hurried away.

Not really knowing her destination, she ended up running into Ally. Quite literally in fact. She wasn't really watching where she was going, so she was very unprepared to collide with another very solid body.

"Oh, hey Mila." Ally just smiled at her friend.

"So... you and Lauren got caught eh?" Camila blushed. In the chaos of things, she had   
actually forgotten that Ally knew about their little romance.

"Right to the point I see. I mean... I guess? There's no confirmations. Only rumors, so   
there's that I suppose." Camila shrugged her shoulders. Ally looked at her questioningly.

"So you two aren't... you know... going to come clean?" Camila furiously shook her head.

"No. Definitely not. We can't." Ally raised in eyebrow, but didn't question it. Instead she just laid a hand on Camila's arm.

"Hey, I'm sorry. This kind of situation sucks. Not that I would have first-hand experience, but I can imagine. But just know I support you, with whatever. And I'll be here to talk if you need to."

Camila looked gratefully at Ally. "Thanks Ally. That really means a lot."

"That's what friends are for! But anyways, I need to go prepare for Shows tonight. Good   
luck out there! I'm sure you'll do great." Ally smiled before walking off. Camila watched Ally walk away before going to follow the brunette's lead to prepare for that night.

-

Lauren had arrived fairly early on set that morning. While she wasn't sure if she was going to have a whole lot to do, she figured might as well lounge about on set in case someone did need her, instead just lounge around back at her apartment with nothing to do. There were only a few other contestants there when Lauren got there and she was also the first coach on set.

The producer was going to try to keep to herself for the most part. That's what she did best when her personal life took the spotlight. Just keep away from the paparazzi as much as possible and they'll eventually go off in search of someone else. Of course, now Lauren had Camila to think about as well. She couldn't just leave the Latina to fend for herself against the media. That was just cruel. She just had to shield herself and Camila from the press long enough for another superstar to slip up. Then they would be yesterday's news. It probably wouldn't take long. There were a number of people in the business that just couldn't go longer than a week without making headlines of some sort.

Lauren had decided to sit in one of the set break rooms with her laptop and a set of headphones covering her ears for most of the morning. And for most of the morning she wasn't disturbed. Amazing what a set of on-ear headphones would do to make people leave you alone. However, it wasn't destined to last. The feeling of a body collapsing on the couch next to her made the producer glance over. She almost groaned when she saw a certain guy sat beside her. Knowing that Harry wouldn't let her ignore whatever it was she wanted to talk about, Lauren removed one of the cups from her right ear, to signify that she was listening.

"Hey Lauren." He started simply, waiting for a response. Any response.

"Hey." Lauren wasn't really in the mood for small talk. Harry just sighed.

"I'm sorry you know, about... you know." Lauren grimaced, but nodded her head. The situation sucked, she knew that. She didn't want Harry's pity.

"You should know better than anyone that I don't need or want your sympathy. It's not necessary. It sucks, yeah. But shit happens." Lauren shrugged.

"I do know that, but it doesn't stop me from giving it anyways. I know you and Camila are close. And I figured you're still struggling with the idea of being at least somewhat friends with me again. But you do know that..." Lauren stopped Harry.

"That's not what I'm struggling with Harry. Fact of the matter is, yes, I do want us to be   
friends again." Harry's eye lit up at the possibility of Lauren wanting to be friends.

"But I'm struggling with the trust thing. I've got issues, you know that. I gave you my trust once, and however intentional or unintentional it was, you broke that. I'm struggling with the idea of giving it a second time. I've never done that. Ever. You've got to understand, it's hard. To go against something that you've always done."

Harry slowly nodded. "And it would be unfair of me to immediately ask for your trust back. I know that. And I wouldn't do that. But I do want you to know that if you need someone to lean on, you have my shoulder. If it's necessary." Harry knew that it would be Lauren's last resort, to rely on another person. But she figured she might as well offer.

"I appreciate that Harry. Really. I don't think it's necessary, but it's appreciated." Lauren simply said. Sensing that the conversation was over, Harry changed the subject.

"So, are you looking forward for tonight? Going to be a tough night for everyone." Lauren nodded.

"I'm mostly excited to see how everyone does. It's been a great experience to see everyone grow so much, even people from other teams. You seem to be putting a lot of stock into Louis." Lauren questioned, with a smirk on her face. Harry just laughed.

"Yeah, perhaps. Although I'm not putting as much stock into him as you are into Camila." The guy shot back.

"Touché." The two looked at each other and laughed together. "You know, we haven't done this in years. You know, have a conversation that didn't end in us yelling at each other."

Harry considered Lauren's words. "You're right. It feels good." Lauren smiled at her   
once best friend and nodded.

"Yeah, it does." It was a small step, but it was still one step closer to repairing her friendship with Harry.

-

Camila was on stage with all the other contestants as Carson announced the show. Since from here on out, the show was almost a free for all, they wouldn't be going in order of teams anymore. Instead, they had all been assigned a slot. Camila, for better or for worse would be going third. She was glad to not be going first, but still. It was still nerve wracking. She was trying to do a good job at hiding it, and the lights of the set were helping with that. Her slightly red face and sweaty palms were associated with the heat of the set, not her own emotions.

As Carson announced who would be going first, the rest of the contestants went backstage of wait for their turn. Ally would be going sixth, so she had a little longer to wait than Camila. The two spent most of the time waiting for Camila's slot, talking.

"So, how has it been going with you?" Camila questioned.

"Great! You know, I never really knew how much I needed to improve before working with Adam. Obviously I knew I had weaknesses, but acknowledging them and working on them has been a really gratifying experience. You?"

"A lot of the same really. Although it's cool that Lauren's been teaching me to arrange all my own songs, even starting to write my own stuff. Long work in progress though." Ally got a mischievous look in her eye.

"That all she's been teaching you?" Camila's jaw dropped and she went to hit Ally on the shoulder.

"Wow Ally. Is that all you think about?" Ally just shrugged innocently.

"Hey, I saw the chance and I took it" Camila chuckled and shook her head.

Before the two knew it, Camila was up. She was nervously playing with the microphone in her hand. This would be her first appearance on The Voice since the rumors. She was hoping that they wouldn't impact the audience perception of her, but only time would tell.

"And now, representing Team Lauren, singing Sweet Disposition, Camila Cabello!" She could hear the sound of the crowd cheering for her. The sound of the music started playing, and Camila took a breath.

**Sweet disposition**   
**Never too soon**   
**Oh, reckless abandon**   
**Like no one's watching you**

(Play the audio if you have soundcloud ☺ If you don't have there's a youtube link down here)

Camila had decided to go with a softer song compared to some of her other performances. She thought it was probably appropriate, given the circumstances. Looking out at the audience, they were all in silence, watching the singer. She glanced down at the coaches. Adam and Blake were intently listening to her and watching her. Lauren was smiling up at her, and Harry was nodding in approval. All of this gave Camila the courage to do her best.

**A moment of love**   
**A dream**   
**A laugh**   
**A kiss**   
**A cry**   
**Our rights**   
**Our wrongs**   
**A moment of love**   
**A dream**   
**A laugh**   
**A moment of love**   
**A dream**   
**A laugh**

Camila absolutely loved this song. It told the story of working towards a better life, taking risks to live the dream. It was a song that she believed every single person could relate to on some level, her passion towards this song made her performance even more stunning to onlookers. The performance mainly showcased the Latina's vocals over her performance ability. However, wandering around the stage smiling, pointing out at the audience and waving her arm above her head occasionally seemed to do the trick.

**So stay there**   
**'Cause I'll be coming over**   
**While our blood's still young**   
**It's so young, it runs**   
**Won't stop 'til it's over**   
**Won't stop to surrender**

Up on stage, it was like all her problems melted away. Maybe it was Camila's passion for music, or maybe it was just the performer's high. But whatever it was, standing on stage, looking out to the audience and coaches, it was like the previous weekend hadn't even happened. In the back of her mind, she knew that she would eventually have to go back to the real world, so she savored the feeling while she could.

**Songs of desperation**   
**I played them for you**

Lauren stared up at her girlfriend in awe. She had obviously known Camila's song choice, being her coach and all, but it always floored Lauren to see the Latina up in stage. She was truly in her element. As she watched, she knew that they were making the right decision to lay low. It would be a travesty to not allow the world to experience the artist that was Camila Cabello.

**A moment of love**   
**A dream**   
**A laugh**   
**A kiss**   
**A cry**   
**Our rights**   
**Our wrongs**   
**A moment of love**   
**A dream**   
**A laugh**   
**A moment of love**   
**A dream**   
**A laugh**

Waving her hand over her head, Camila noted that the crowd was swaying back and forth in sync with her raised arm. She smiled at that. It was one of the many reasons that she loved music. Here in this moment, it was unifying. Music had that effect on people. It brought people together.

**Stay there**   
**'Cause I'll be coming over**   
**While our blood's still young**   
**It's so young, it runs**   
**Won't stop 'til it's over**   
**Won't stop to surrender**

As she ended her song, her music slowly faded out as she took a bow. The crowd wildly cheered as she smiled and threw her fist, mic in hand, up in the air before exiting the stage. As usual, the first person to greet her was Ally.

"That was great Camila! Going to be hard to follow that up. Thanks a lot." Ally complained.

"Whatever Hernandez. I'm sure you'll do just fine."

"Here's hoping. I'd hate to make it this far only to be eliminated on the first live show." Camila nodded.

"I'd feel sorry for those in the bottom three. Having to basically sing a song on the spot to get saved? That must suck." Ally nodded in agreement.

"Well, hopefully we'll never sink that low." Before the two knew it, it was Ally's turn to go up. As she walked off, that left time for Camila to reflect. Her performance, in her opinion at least, had gone great, however, she was slightly worried that the rumors about her and Lauren might affect her standing. But she wouldn't let it get to her too much. She'd pull her hair out if she stressed to an extreme degree.

Although it would be overly egotistical to believe that she was a shoo in to move on. She didn't want to be a second Austin Mahone. So as the night progressed and they moved into the results the following day, she kept an idea or two in the back of her mind what she would sing if she were to drop to the bottom.


	18. Top 12 Results

The following day, no one really did much practicing or much of anything really. Most of them were far too nervous for that evening when they would find out who would move into top ten. Two of them would be going home that night. Camila, being the kind of person she was, spent most of the day looking over ideas for a song, should she have to save herself that night. She didn't put too much stock into that, because she was fairly confident about the previous night.

But, it would be stupid to not at least have something prepared. That would be like not preparing a concession speech in a political race. It was just overly cocky and wouldn't do her any favors. Besides, if she prepared something now, if she were to fall to bottom three later on down the road when there was less people, she would at least be ready. So for most of the day, Camila was sat in front of her laptop, looking up music that suited her style and voice. The singer figured that if she were at the lowest position, that she would definitely need to pick something that really showcased her talents and not take risks with that one like she had been doing up to this point.

Before long, Lauren sought out the singer and seated herself on the couch next to Camila. The singer pulled herself away from her laptop screen to look and smile at the coach. "Hey Laur."

"Hey Camz. How you holding up?" Camila shrugged and gestured to her computer screen.

"I feel fine. I'm not really worried, but I figured that I'd at least have something ready for tonight." Lauren looked at her girlfriend sympathetically.

"That's probably a good idea. Not that I think you'll have any trouble, but better to be safe than sorry right?" Camila nodded.

"That's what I was thinking."

"Well, do you have any ideas of what you'd sing?" Camila pointed at the song she was currently working on.

"I was thinking of this song. I mean, it might not be totally appropriate, but I figured I could definitely sing it well." Lauren's head bobbed up and down in agreement.

"For sure. And don't worry about it not being 'appropriate.' I think that it's totally fine." Lauren said reassuringly. Camila smiled gratefully.

"Thanks Laur. I'm hoping I'm not going to have to use it though." Camila's shoulders sagged a little bit. The more she spent time thinking about it, she felt more and more insecure. Lauren carefully rested a hand on the singer's upper back, rubbing it gently.

"Hey Camz. Don't panic. You'll be okay. I believe in you." Camila's heart warmed. Despite the situation of everything, Lauren still knew what Camila needed to hear. It gave her peace of mind that everything would indeed be alright. Camila sighed.

"I guess you're right. It's just so stressful. I was talking to Ally last night and we were discussing the results. I suppose I just don't want to have made it this far, only to fail now."

Camila voiced her insecurities. The singer wasn't usually one to share what was getting her down, preferring to hide behind her bubbly and energetic personality. However, around Lauren she felt completely open. And what was more was that she was comfortable with it. It wasn't like she felt out of her element opening up to Lauren. It just felt natural. And that made all the difference. Getting to truly be herself around Lauren was extremely refreshing. Camila often used her overly excited personality as a barrier, but with Lauren she was excited because she wanted to be, not because   
she needed to hide.

"Camz, you're an amazing singer. And if you were to get voted off right this minute, then it would be their loss. Not yours. Any producer in the industry would be lucky to work with you. I'm just lucky that you picked me." Lauren winked.

"You wouldn't be a failure just because America was stupid." Camila laughed.

"Thanks Laur." Lauren nodded.

"Hey, what are coaches for?" Lauren said, giving Camila a crooked smile.

Its amazing what even a short conversation with the coach did for Camila's   
mood.

_

Camila was bouncing back and forth on the balls of her feet as she waited to go on the air. To say she was nervous was an understatement. Lauren had helped her calm down, but now when results were a few minutes away, she was back to being terrified.

"And the tonight, we have the results of last night's shows! It should be an exciting line up moving on to top ten. But that means that two of our contestants are going home." The crowd got louder as they waited in anticipation of who would be singing for their life that night.

"But first, say hello to your coaches!"

"Adam Levine." Adam gave the audience a short salute.

"Harry Styles." The guy waved at the audience, smiling.

"Lauren Jauregui." The coach threw up a peace sign to the crowd.

"And Blake Shelton." Who nodded his head, grinning like the rest of the coaches.

"Now tonight, we will be revealing who you, the viewers, have saved and are moving on to top ten. But..." He paused, "tonight we will also be revealing who were in the bottom three and you guys will have one last chance to save one of them. Using Twitter of course. More on that later." The crowd cheered in excitement.

"So without further ado, let's get down to it. Up here on stage I have all of our artists. And I have in my hands, the names of the first two who are going to be safe and moving on to next week." The lights beamed down on Camila and her fellow artists.

As the music played, the crowd became even more hyped for what was to come. Everyone waited with bated breaths, waiting for Carson to continue.

"America saved..." The show host started, "From Team Adam..." once again, stopping for dramatic effect. Ally waited in anticipation, hoping and praying that she'd be someone to move on.

"Ally Brooke Hernandez!" The crowd erupted in screams, Ally being a fan favorite. The woman in question let out a huge sigh of relief and grinned widely. Camila, who happened to be standing near her friend, let out an excited squeak and wrapped her arms tightly around Ally's mid-section. Ally looked gratefully at Camila before walking off the stage to stand on the sides, watching who else would join her.

"And America also saved..." Pause. "From Team Harry..." Another pause. Camila had a feeling it was going to be a long and stressful night with all these dramatic pauses. "Louis Tomlinson!"

The male in question pumped his fist in the air, letting out a happy holler. Harry clapped along with everyone else happy to see the artist move on. And Louis went to join Ally on the sides. And the eliminations continued like that.

As they moved forward, Camila became more and more nervous as her name was continually skipped over. At this point she wanted to just chew her nails off in fear. But she refrained, only sweating slightly.

Before they knew it, it was down the last four artists, with only one name remaining. And the singer was still up on stage. This far into it, her stomach was in knots, fearing the worst.

And at the same time, praising herself for preparing something to sing that night. "And the last person who is guaranteed to move on to next week is..."

Camila bit her lip in suspense, almost enough to draw blood. "From Team Lauren..."

The singer clenched her fists.

"Zayn Malik." Camila's heart dropped into her stomach. She had managed to land a spot in the bottom three. From the side, she could just make out the look on Ally's face. It was one of mostly disbelief.

"That means, the rest of you up there are in danger of going home." Camila looked to the left and right of her, seeing Keaton and Bea standing up on stage with her. Both of them also had similar terrified but also disappointed looks on their faces. Very similar to what Camila was certain was plastered on her face.

"And now, it's up to you America. You have one last chance to save one of these artists. Each of them are going to perform a song and afterwards you will have the chance to save them via Twitter.

Use the hashtag _VoiceSave_ along with the artist you guys want to see move on to next week." It was about this time that Camila was glad she had thought about what she would have theoretically sang. Because it looked like she was going to have to step up and give it her all.

"Lauren, any thoughts? You have two contestants up here." Lauren's lip puffed up into a grimace. She blinked once. Twice, before answering.

"Puts the odds in favor of someone from my team moving on to next week then doesn't it? Two thirds the chance." Lauren joked, although internally she was also a little shocked that Camila hadn't been saved earlier. And now the singer, who was stressing earlier, had to perform in order to move on.

"Fair point. Harry, any comments from you? Bea is on your team after all."

Harry looked over at Lauren then back up at Carson.

"I'm confident that the viewers will pick the best singer." He said simply. Carson nodded.

"Well, without further ado, let's move into Instant Saves. Camila, you'll be up first, after the commercial break."

The singer wanted to faint. She was the type of person who hated to go first, setting the bar wasn't her cup of tea. But there wasn't much she could do. As soon as the show cut to commercial, it was a scramble to make sure everything was ready.

Keaton and Bea both wished Camila the best of luck, which the singer also returned the sentiment to her fellow artists. Some of the crew scuffled around, making sure Camila's song choice was ready to go.

The singer was handed a microphone. Absentmindedly grabbing it, she didn't pay attention to who gave it to her until a hand was resting on her shoulder. She looked up to see Lauren standing next to her, a small smile on her lips.

"You'll be fine Camila. America will see how great you are. There's no way in hell that you won't be on the show next week." Camila shrugged her shoulders.

"At this point, I'm not even sure what to believe any more. You know?" Lauren gave the singer a sympathetic look.

"Then believe in yourself. Go out there and do this for you. Don't perform for anyone else. Not the viewers, not for me, but for you. That's what music is all about, isn't it? Sure, you share your voice with your listeners, but would you really want to do it if you didn't love doing this every day?"

Camila shook her head.

"Just remember Camila, this is for you, and only you." Camila gave her girlfriend a small smile.

"Thanks Laur." She was still too nervous to really say much, but Lauren understood. She just squeezed the singer's shoulder and ran off to her chair. Camila was then immediately hurried to center stage, needing to be in place for when the show went back on the air. Lauren gave her a small thumbs up and Camila giggled a little bit. She appreciated Lauren's belief in her, and it was one of the few things that was keeping her from breaking down.

Camila got the signal that they were about to go back on. She took a breath and waited.

"Welcome back America." Carson started. "It's time to save one of the three artists in danger of going home. Remember, use the hashtag VoiceSaves along with the artist's name you want to move on to next week.

And now, singing Hall of Fame, from Team Lauren... Camila Cabello!"

The crowd cheered as the beginning piano part echoed throughout the studio.

**Yeah, you could be the greatest  
You can be the best   
You can be the King Kong banging on your chest   
You could beat the world   
You could beat the world   
You could beat the war   
You could talk to God, go banging on his door**

As this was a very on the spot performance, the only things Camila had available to her is the microphone and herself. She tried to throw herself back to when she was working with Lauren on her performance skills. She and the coach had briefly talked about performances where you have very few resources to use. This was really going to be a focus on Camila's mezzo-soprano vocals and her raw performance talent.

**You can throw your hands up  
You can beat the clock   
You can move a mountain   
You can break rocks   
You can be a master   
Don't wait for luck Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself**

Camila was trying to pull her head out of performing for people and take Lauren's advice of performing for herself. This was her dream, being a music artist. This thought gave the singer the fuel to keep going. That was what motivated her. She wasn't about to let anything get in the way of her dreams. She was the type of person to chase after what she wanted.

**Standing in the hall of fame  
And the world's gonna know your name   
Cause you burn with the brightest flame   
And the world's gonna know your name   
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame**

Camila threw her whole being into the chorus. She felt that this song personified what her ultimate goal was. And because of that, she felt connected to the emotions of this song. The audience was jumping and fist pumping to the singer's vocals. And the singer in question was dancing on stage right along with them.

**You could go the distance  
You could run the mile   
You could walk straight through hell with a   
smile   
You could be the hero   
You could get the gold   
Breaking all the records they thought could   
never be broke**

The song was had a little more of a rap vibe than Camila was used to, so she used her talent for rearranging music to turn it into more of a lyrical piece. It still retained the flow of what people loved about the original, but as a cover, she put her own spin into it. Camila still had never gotten the hang of rapping, and figured she probably never would. But that was fine by her. She liked her own style.

**Do it for your people  
Do it for your pride   
Never gonna know if you never even try   
Do it for your country   
Do it for your name   
Cause there's gonna be a day   
When you're...**

Lauren was smiling widely at her girlfriend up on stage. When she had told Camila to believe in herself, she had hoped that her words stuck. But seeing and knowing that they did tugged at the Camila's heartstrings, she felt proud of herself. She had never been good with that kind of thing, encouraging and motivating other people. She tended to resort to sarcasm and such, so this was a new feeling for her. But Lauren figured if this was what it felt like, she might try to more often.

**Standing in the hall of fame  
And the world's gonna know your name   
Cause you burn with the brightest flame   
And the world's gonna know your name   
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame   
Be a champion   
Be a champion   
Be a champion   
Be a champion   
On the walls of the hall of fame**

At this point Camila was completely lost in the performance high. The adrenaline pumping through her veins spurred her forward. And anyone looking at her in this moment could tell she was a natural. It was like she was meant to occupy the stage. And to Camila, she was most comfortable when she was singing, alone or in front of others. It didn't matter.

**Be students, Be teachers  
Be politicians. Be preachers   
Be believers, Be leaders   
Be astronauts, Be champions   
Be true seekers   
Be students, Be teachers   
Be politicians, Be preachers   
Be believers, Be leaders   
Be astronauts. Be champions.**

This portion of the song was the most heavily altered. Surprisingly Camila made it work. Lauren couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. Camila had come a long way since the two had first met. And what was more was the Lauren had come almost as far. Maybe not in terms of her music, but definitely in her personal life.

**Standing in the hall of fame  
And the world's gonna know your name   
Cause you burn with the brightest flame   
And the world's gonna know your name   
And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame**

And in that final chorus Camila tried to put her heart into it, convey to the audience why she deserved to stay. That at the end of the day, she was an amazing artist. It wasn't all about the relationship drama and rumors between her and Lauren. She was still there because she was a great artist. And nothing had changed that.

**Yeah, you could be the greatest  
You can be the best   
You can be the king kong banging on your   
chest   
You could beat the world   
You could beat the war   
You could talk to God, go banging on his door   
You can throw your hands up   
You can beat the clock   
You can move a mountain   
You can break rocks   
You can be a master   
Don't wait for luck   
Dedicate yourself and you can find yourself   
Standing in the hall of fame**

And as Camila wound down her performance, she looked out into the audience to see everyone waving their arms back and forth to her voice. She shot out an award winning smile to the audience before thrusting her arm in the air, microphone in hand as the lights dimmed, leaving her in the dark. The crowd cheered and clapped. As she walked off stage, Camila felt good. Better than she had. Now it was all up to the viewers. She wanted more than anything to move on, but right now, that wasn't up to her. She did all she could. Now all she could do was wait.

Keaton and Bea performed their pieces after Camila. The singer had to hand it to both of them. They were both deceptively talented. Keaton, in person, was extremely timid and shy. But on stage it was like he was an entirely different person. He sang with the confidence of a seasoned artist.

And Bea was a friendly but fairly quiet girl. Although Camila couldn't really understand why. She's got a great voice. Perhaps it was because the girl wasn't a very outgoing performer. She did what she had to, but not much more than that.

At the end of the show, all three of them gathered out in stage. Keaton is in the middle and he had an arm wrapped around each of the girl's shoulders; Camila on the left and Jessica on the right. They awaited the results of the instant save.

"The votes are in ladies and gentlemen. It was a very close race, up until the very end. But we now have the results of who will be moving on to the top ten." Camila could feel Keaton's grip tighten slightly. She reached up to lay a hand on his, patting it gently.

"And now, America has chosen..." Carson paused for a minute. Camila swore that she was completely finished with these dramatic pauses. They were frustrating as all get out. She just wanted him to spit it out.

"Camila Cabello! You'll be moving on into next week!" Camila squealed a little bit, covering her mouth with her hand in relief. She wrapped her arms around both Bea and Keaton, pulling them into a sympathetic hug. Pulling back, she gave both of them a sad smile. Bea and Keaton both looked disappointed, but never the less gave Camila a grin.

"Knock em' dead Mila." Keaton said over the roar of the crowd. Camila nodded once. This was a humbling experience. It was nerve wracking to go through this. And she vowed to never have to do that again.

As the show cut, Camila glanced over at Lauren who was giving her a proud look, and quickly waved, followed by two thumbs up. Camila's lips turned upward into a grateful smile. She never would have been able to get through any of this without the coach.

Sometimes she wondered if Lauren realized how important she is in Camila's life. And if she didn't, Camila vowed to show her.

 


	19. Live Shows: Top 10

Following the result night, Camila threw herself into her music. Falling to the bottom three had jarred her. It wasn't something she was expecting. And while she was at least somewhat prepared, it still didn't sit well with her. So that Wednesday the singer spent the entire day, alone in a studio, working her tail off to make sure her next performance is perfect.

It was about midday when she heard a soft knock on the doorframe. She looked up to see Lauren standing there, offering her a coffee and a small smile.

Acknowledging the brunette, Camila smiled back at Lauren before going back to her computer. She missed the sad look in Lauren's eyes, but the coach just walked over to her girlfriend, closing the door behind her, setting the cup of coffee next to her before taking a seat.

"Camila? Are you okay?" Lauren asked. She was concerned about the singer. It had only been a day and Camila had all but ignored everything around her, preferring to focus on her music. And while Lauren semi understood why, she was still worried.

It was apparent that the previous night had bothered Camila, even though she is still here.

"I'm fine." Camila said absentmindedly.

Lauren just sighed, put a hand on Camila's laptop and shut the lid. The singer turned and glared at Lauren, but she stood her ground.

"You're not fine Camz. Please, at least tell me what's wrong. I'm worried about you."

"I told you Lauren, I'm fine. I just want to focus on my music, make it the best it can be."

Camila went to open her laptop again, but Lauren placed a hand gently on top of the singer's own.

"I'm serious Camila. I can tell there's something wrong. I know it has to do with last night. But please, talk to me. I want to help you.. I just don't know how." Lauren admitted.

She was more in tune with Camila than she had been with any other human being, but that didn't meant she could read the singer's mind. She too needed help to know what she could do, and she couldn't help if Camila wouldn't tell her what was wrong.

Camila just sighed and placed her face in her hands, elbows resting on her knees.

"I just... I didn't know last night would affect me so much. Maybe I was being egotistical but I honestly never believed I could be in that position. I've always imagined myself moving on to the finals, even winning the show. But last night, really opened my eyes to the very real possibility of that not happening."

Camila is on the verge of tears, but tried very hard not to let them fall. Lauren wrapped an arm around Camila's shoulder, pulling her closer, not caring that someone could walk into the studio at any minute and see them. Camila's feelings and self-esteem was far more important to Lauren than getting caught.

"You're right Camila, it's possible. But it hasn't happened yet. And if the latina that I'm dating is in there, she won't let it happen."

Camila looked up at Lauren, then back down at her lap.

"You know, It had crossed my mind that the rumors about us had impacted the results. That some people thought that because there was possibility that I am in a relationship with you, that I didn't deserve to go on. That I shouldn't have even been there." Camila admitted to her girlfriend.

She didn't want to believe that had anything to do with it, because she didn't want Lauren to think that any of this is her fault. Lauren is one of the best things that happened to her throughout the show.

"Camz, I won't bullshit you into saying that that might not have been a factor in some people's votes. But I will guarantee you that you belong here. I would have picked you regardless of us dating or not. In fact, most of my decisions happened before we were even dating. You're a better artist than a good amount of people already in the business. Even some artists I've worked with before."

Lauren reached out to touch Camila's cheek, running her fingers down her face. Camila's skin tingled at the contact.

"You're a great singer and an even more great person. No one can ignore that. Ultimately, yeah you were at the bottom three, but at the end of the day, the audience saved you. They still wanted you here. That has to count for something right? And like I said, the Camila Cabello I know wouldn't let this change anything."

Camila lifted her head to look Lauren in the eyes, losing herself in the emerald green of her girlfriend's eyes.

The singer drifted closer to Lauren, before planting a kiss on her cheek. Even though it had been months since the first time Camila's lips had made contact with Lauren's cheek, her skin still tingled and burned like it was the very first time.

"You're right Laur. I just... don't want to have come all this way and gone through everything, only to come up short."

"Then don't let yourself fail. I know the kind of person you are Camz. You're determined, I know you can do anything you set your mind to. And I believe in you. And I know that Harry does to. And I think your friend Ally does as well. You've got friends Camila. We are all rooting for you."

Overcome with her emotions, Camila threw her arms around Lauren's neck, burying her face into the coach's hair.

Lauren was a little unprepared for the sudden contact, so the force of Camila barreling into her sent her reeling backwards into her chair, almost tipping it over. But once the brunette had recovered, she smiled and wrapped her arms around the singer, returning the tight hug.

Camila never wanted to let Lauren go. The coach is where she felt the happiest, where she felt at home. She hated that they couldn't truly be together until after the show, which wouldn't be for another few months.

Camila had auditioned for the show to boost her music career, but what she is going to come away with is much more important to her. Win or lose, she is going to walk away a winner regardless.

_

That weekend was another one spent in her apartment. Camila rarely left her home, except to get to the studio, and occasionally to go shopping or something. But with the paparazzi on her tail, she kept off the streets as much as possible. They weren't following her and Lauren around as much as they had the previous weekend, but there were always a few reporters camped outside her building who tried to get statements from her whenever she left or came back.

That was another thing she couldn't wait to be over. She hated all the press attention over her and Lauren's 'alleged' relationship. She knew that if she was going to become a famous artist, she'd get the same treatment, but right now it was different. It was like they were rubbing it in her face, albeit unknowingly and unintentionally, that she couldn't be with Lauren like she wanted to.

Sure, the two weren't broken up by any means. But they had both agreed to stick to very firm boundaries. Both to protect Lauren from being fired as well as Camila's reputation from being trashed. Neither woman was very happy about it, but knew it was necessary. The two did call and Skype each other on a regular basis however. They saw each other almost every day on set, and occasionally they did still meet at Lauren's recording studio, but those meetings were few and far between now. Not only to avoid suspicion, but also because Camila is working hard on her next performances.

The singer had taken Lauren's words to heart and let up a little bit on the ferocity with which she was attacking her music. But she still spent more of her time alone with her laptop, readying herself. She wasn't going to let what happened to her the first week, happen again. But at the current moment, she is taking a break. In fact, she is booting up her Skype in order to talk to Lauren for a while.

The two enjoyed their Skype sessions, mainly because they could talk face to face, or at least as face to face as you could get through Skype, and not worry about getting interrupted or caught. As soon as she signed on, she got a video conference request from Lauren, which she immediately accepted.

Camila's smile brightened as she saw the brunette's face fill up her screen.

"Hey babe." Lauren waved at her girlfriend. Behind her, Camila could make out what she thought was Lauren's apartment. The singer still had never been to or seen where the coach lived. Something both of them hoped to remedy soon.

"Hi Lolo! how has your weekend been going so far?" The coach just shrugged, leaning back on her chair to make herself comfortable.

"Nothing all that special. Although I will admit I'd rather it be quiet like this than hectic like it was last weekend." Camila nodded. She wholeheartedly agreed.

"For sure. I mean, spending time with you at the club was amazing. But the morning after, not so much." Lauren gave Camila a small, sad smile.

"We'll be able to do it again, I promise you. As soon as the show is over, I'll take you out to a club, just you and me." Camila laughed.

"What about the whole 'we need to develop a friendship' thing?" Camila inquired, knowing that Lauren hadn't forgotten.

"What better way to get to know a person than to take them out drinking and dancing?" Both girls laughed.

"You are probably right about that Laur. Well, I'm looking forward to it."

"Good, because you should. Our first official date will be badass." Camila laughed.

Lauren always had this tough, 'badass' exterior, but the producer was actually one of the sweetest people Camila had ever met.

Lauren noticed Camila quietly laughing at her, and gave her a playful glare.

"What are you laughing at Cabello?"

This made the singer laugh harder.

"You and badassery don't exactly seem like the combination of words I'd use." Lauren just huffed.

"Whatever. I am badass!" She insisted.

Camila just shrugged her shoulders. "Sure Lolo, whatever you say."

The two just stared at each other for a couple minutes before they both burst out laughing. The couple spent the next hour or so just enjoying being in each other's company, albeit over the computer. Not exactly ideal, but it was better than nothing.

"Hey Camz, I gotta get going. I've got a few things I need to do. I'll talk to you Monday?" Camila nodded in understanding.

"Sure Laur." The mention of Monday brought back the memory that performances were then.

Lauren sensed her girlfriend's shift in mood and guessed what it was about.

"Hey Camz, You'll be fine. It's just another performance."

"Yeah, you're right Lolo. I'm just.. a little antsy." Lauren's eyes visibly softened.

"And there's nothing wrong with that. But you're a talented artist. You'll get through this."

Camila nodded. Knowing that Lauren had things to do, she wished her girlfriend goodbye.

"Bye Camz. I'll see you Monday." And Lauren ended the call.

Camila slumped back on her couch. She is apprehensive for Monday, but knew that the only thing she could do was practice and hope.

_

The weekend was over and Monday had rolled around. Camila had arrived fairly early on set and sought out Ally. It didn't take her too long to find her friend. She is lounging on a couch, going over her music for the show that night.

"Hey Ally." The girl in question looked up to see Camila standing there. Ally smiled and gestured for her to sit down, which the Latina did.

"Hey Mila, you nervous for tonight?"

The singer nodded her head furiously.

"Yeah, extremely. Last week was nerve wracking. I don't know if I'm ready to do something like that again."

Ally had been shocked, along with most of the other contestants that Camila had dropped that low. There had been a rumor floating around that the results might have been rigged by the producers, but there was no proof. She could understand Camila's feelings.

"I'm sure you won't have to." Ally believed that her friend wouldn't have to, but she couldn't deny that it was possible that it would.

"There's no way that the viewers don't recognize a good singer when they hear one."

Camila looked gratefully at Ally for her words of encouragement.

"Well, I guess we'll see tomorrow won't we?"

Ally nodded.

"Anyways. how are you feeling?"

"Pretty good. I admit coming out on top last week might have boosted my ego a little bit. But I still have to bring my A game going into the rest of the show."

"Oh yeah, for sure. Well, I just wanted to say hi and chat for a bit. I'll leave you to your sheet music." Camila gestured to the pages of music spread out all over, in front of the brunette.

Ally nodded before wishing Camila good luck again.

The singer got up and went to go find a sitting place to pop open her laptop and do some last minute preparing. She found a cozy little spot where she could be alone and most likely not be bothered. She pulled out her computer, booting it up and then opening up her track and music.

Looking over what she was going to sing, she was hoping it wasn't going to be too emotional and telling for her. But in her heart, she knew this is what she wanted to sing. Although it was at this moment when she kind of wished she could play guitar well.  
_

Before she knew it, she was being ushered backstage to do sound checks and everything for the show that night. It was a tedious process, but obviously necessary.

All in all it took a few hours for everything to be done, including sound checks, stage checks, makeup and hair, the entire works. But an hour or so before the show started, the Latina is all ready to go.

She was relaxing out in the hallway backstage when she felt a hand on hers. Assuming it was either Lauren or Ally, she turned around to greet them but was surprised to see Louis standing behind her. She looked confusedly at him.

"Hey Louis. What's up?"

"Just wanted to say hi and wish you good luck tonight." Camila was still wondering if there was some ulterior motive for him talking to her, since the two hadn't really conversed much   
since their battle a few months back.

"Oh, thanks Louis. Good luck to you too." The Latina smiled at her fellow artist.

"Nervous for tonight?" She asked.

The male just shook his head.

"Not really. I'm not worried. We just get out there, do our best and hope that we don't get booted off, right?" Camila wished she could have such a nonchalant attitude about the entire thing.

"I guess so?" She asked, half a statement and half a question.

"Still a little rattled from last week?" He asked her knowingly.

She sighed.

"Is it that obvious?"

"A little bit." The latina just groaned

"That's not necessarily a bad thing though. I mean, it's motivation, isn't it?"

The brunette male was right, her near failure last week had motivated her this week. There was something to be said for that.

"It sure is."

Louis could sense that Camila didn't really want to chat so he gracefully excused himself, leaving her with her own thoughts. Before she knew it, she and the rest of the contestants were being summoned to the stage for the show to start. Camila caught a brief glimpse of Lauren, who waved at her   
girlfriend, encouraging her with a wide grin.

And then they got the queue that the show was about to go on the air, so everyone got into their positions on stage, Carson standing in the middle.

Camila was so distracted during the entire speech that she didn't really catch a word that the show host had said. She was too busy looking out into the audience, who was watching and waiting to see what each of the artists would perform that week.

This week, they would be performing in order of rank, the person at the bottom would be going first. So much to Camila's displeasure, she would be going first. The singer hated going first.

When Carson had finished the show opener, all the remaining contestants proceeded backstage while Camila got into position on stage. It was somewhat of a risky move that she was going to take. She hadn't gone for the flash and awe factor in this performance. Although, she hadn't really done too much of that for the entire show.

Instead, she was going to be focusing on the lyrics and vocals of the song. The stage dimmed with only purple lighting strips and some white and blue backlighting, she stood, microphone in hand, waiting for the music to start. As the first guitar riff played in the background, the crowd whistled and clapped for her song choice.

**When I look into your eyes**   
**It's like watching the night sky**   
**Or a beautiful sunrise**   
**So much they hold**   
**I won't give up on us**   
**Even if the skies get rough**   
**I'm giving you all my love**   
**I'm still looking up**

Even though this was mostly a love song, she thought it was appropriate for how she was feeling towards her life at the moment. She had cut the song slightly to make it shorter, but still retaining the emotions in it.

As she stood on stage, she looked out into the audience to see the crowd's arms in the air swaying back and forth to the music. This unity was one of the things Camila liked best about slow, more acoustic songs. It really showcased the togetherness that music could bring.

**Cause even the stars they burn**   
**Some even fall to the earth**   
**We've got a lot to learn**   
**God knows we're worth it**

As Ally is watching her friend from backstage, she reflected more and more about how good Camila really was. Sometimes she wondered why no one had noticed the singer before. Even just standing on stage, blasting her vocals, she's a crowd pleaser. She is beginning to think there was some truth behind the rumor. There was no way that the viewers didn't pick Camila to move forward.

**I don't wanna be someone who walks away so easily  
I'm here to stay and make the difference that I can make  
Our differences they do a lot to teach us how to use  
The tools and gifts we got, yeah, we got a lot at stake**

**And in the end, you're still my friend at least we did intend**   
**For us to work we didn't break, we didn't burn**   
**I had to learn how to bend without the world caving in**   
**I had to learn what I've got, and what I'm not, and who I am**

As she sang the bridge, she picked up the movement and variation in her vocals. The lights brightened and twinkled around her. Going in to hit some of her high notes elicited cheers and applause from the audience. She could visibly see the coaches watching her.

Adam was nodding his head in admiration of her voice. Lauren and Harry were just intently staring at her, although she knew that the staring was both coaches' way of being sucked into the performance. And Blake had his eyes closed, hand on his chin, simply listening to her, trying to tune out the crowd.

**I won't give up on us**   
**God knows I'm tough enough**   
**We've got a lot to learn**   
**God knows we're worth it**

**I wont give up on us**   
**I'm still looking up**

Camila ended her performance on a softer note. Bringing her performance down from the high energy of the bridge and beginning of the chorus, the lights dimmed, she held the mic tightly, bowing her head slightly, raising her free open hand into the air, slightly above the shoulder.

As the music ended, the crowd burst into applause, the coaches along with them.

Camila smiled at the camera before scampering off stage, where she watched and waited.

_

The following night was the results of the top ten. Two more artists would be going home. Camila swore that if she was in the bottom three again, she was going to cry. Lauren had assured her that there was no way that the viewers would do that again, not after the stellar performance she had. But that didn't do much to alleviate the Latina's nerves.

Only Carson reading off her name would do that. And currently that's what they were all waiting for. They had recapped the previous night and Carson held the red envelopes in his hand.

"And we're back!" The show host announced.

"You all have voted and now it's time to reveal who will be moving into the top eight."

The spotlights beamed down on the artists. Camila was again standing next to Ally. Both girls had spent most of the day with each other, trying to distract the other from what could potentially be either one's last night.

"America saved..." Pause. Camila was sure by the end of the show she was going to strangle Carson.

"From Team Lauren... " Camila's eyes widened. It's between her or Zayn.

"Camila Cabello!"

The crowd whooped and hollered as Camila processed what just happened. She felt two arms wrap themselves around her, squealing. She realized that those arms belonged to Ally and they were now pushing her towards the sidelines to wait for the rest of the artists moving on to join her.

Camila isn't going to lie, she's kind of in shock, trying to process. She had hoped that she would be moving on, but she never imagined that she had shot up to rank one.

Was that even possible? She didn't know, and frankly she didn't care. This was a giant weight off her chest.

"America has also saved..." Carson started, announcing the rank two artist.

"From Team Adam..."

"Ally Brooke Hernandez!"

Camila screamed for her friend, who was fist pumping and cheering for herself loudly. She almost ran over to join Camila. The two shared another tight hug. They had made it.

 


	20. You're The Only One I Love

Eight people remained. Camila and Ally were among them. Both singers had celebrated together the night after the results. Camila had foregone sneaking around with Lauren to go out with her older friend.

The producer had understood, and even encouraged it.

"You sure Lo? I mean, I can tell her that I changed my mind." Camila said to Lauren after the show. The producer just shook her head.

"Nope. Go out and celebrate Camz. You deserve it. We can do something together later this week."

Camila smiled gratefully at her girlfriend. While she loved to spend time with Lauren, she had been gradually getting closer to Ally, the two of them becoming almost as inseparable as Lauren and Camila were.

It helped that she was able to confide in her friend about her relationship with Lauren.

Ally had been really supportive since she had found out. Camila is eternally grateful that she's got a friend like Ally.

Camila had always been known in school, but she never really had any close friends. And its a good feeling to know that someone got your back always.

Camila spent the rest of the night at Insanity with Ally. The club owners had been impressed with her performance, and consequently invited her to frequent the club as she wished. So to celebrate their victory, her and Ally went out to the club.

"I still can't believe you have contacts at Insanity of all places." Ally said, looking around the dance floor as the two were sitting at the bar having a more than a few drinks. Camila just shrugged.

"Well, they liked how I sing." She replied simply.

Ally just laughed.  
  
"Yeah them and the rest of America apparently. So, how does it feel to be the rank one artist on The Voice?" She asked her friend curiously.

Camila took a sip on her drink, contemplating her answer.

"Surreal I think. It's crazy to think that this time last year I was a starving artist who was barely making rent payments. And now I'm close to reaching my dream."

Camila had to admit, if someone had told her a year ago where she would be now, she would have laughed. But now that she had lived it, she couldn't imagine her life any other way. Whether she won or lost, she'd still have her friends and girlfriend.

"I feel you girl." Ally said, swirling her drink in the glass before knocking it back. "You and me both. Although I'm not coming away with a cute girlfriend." Camila mock glared at Ally as she just giggled.

Camila swatted the older girl on the shoulder.

"Hey! I'm just saying." Ally defended herself.

"Whatever Hernandez. You're just jealous." Ally scoffed.

"Jealous of you? Sorry Mila, but Lauren is not my type." Ally said with a shrug of the shoulders.

"Good, because she's mine." Camila said without really thinking.

Ally raised an eyebrow.

"Getting possessive already are we?" Camila looked a little sheepish. But the Ally just waved her off.

"Hey, no worries. I get it. She's a catch. Gotta defend your territory and all that, right?" Camila laughed but nodded her head.

"And there's no need to worry girl, I'm engaged already!" Ally said showing her ring to Camila.

"Oh my God, why didn't you tell me?!" Camila said, excited for her friend. She began asking questions like when did it happen and how and all that.

Ally had no problem at all to tell her how his long term boyfriend Troy proposed, she is just as excited as she was. "And you know me, I don't go around screaming that I'm engaged or something."

Ally, very suddenly, got to her feet, dragging Camila up from her bar stool with her.

"Come dance with me Mila! Celebrate with me!"

She exclaimed before pulling Camila towards the dance floor.

The singer laughed but followed her friend to the already massive group of people congregated on the floor. The two girls were forced very close together, but both were buzzed enough not to really care.

But it seemed that history was destined to repeat itself, as once again Camila failed to notice the lone cameraman snapping pictures of her and her overly drunk friend.

_

Camila woke up the next morning with a pounding headache. Shielding her eyes from the sun streaming through her window, she groaned in pain. Grabbing the nearest hoodie, she pulled it over her head, leaving the hood up as she wandered over to her kitchen to get herself a glass of water and an aspirin.

However before reaching that point, she noticed a body that had taken up residence on her couch. Trying to remember what had happened the previous night, she vaguely recalled the two had gone back to Camila's apartment after their night at the club.

Her apartment was closer than Ally and her fiance's place and the older woman desperately needed to crash, they didn't have time to call Troy because Ally is too drunk to even remember her password. So, of course, being the friend she was, she offered the other singer her couch.

When she reached the kitchen, she grabbed two glasses, filling them with water. Then grabbing the bottle of aspirin, she went over to set a glass and a couple of tablets on the table next to her sleeping friend before swallowing down her own pills.

'Hangovers are the worst. I am never drinking again.' Camila thought to herself.

Pulling out her phone to check her messages, she noticed that she had   
a number of missed texts from Lauren.

Looking at the time, it was about nine in the morning and Lauren's texts were dated at coming in about eight the same morning.

"Morning babe, how was your night?"

"Camz, are you alright?"

"Can we talk, soon?"

Reading through the last message, Camila frowned. Looking over at Ally before replying, she texted back.

"Morning babe. Sorry, I just woke up. Got up with a killer hangover. What did you want to talk about?" She sent off her text before getting up to go to the bathroom.

After relieving herself, brushing her teeth and combing through her tangled hair, she returned to see that Lauren had texted her back and that her friend on her couch had finally woken up.

"Morning Ally." The said woman looked up to see her friend, standing there in a hoodie and sweats. She giggled.

"Wow Mila, is this what hungover you looks like?" She poked at Camila who just stuck out her tongue and flipped the other girl off.

Ally looked offended.

"How rude." Camila just laughed and shook her head before opening the message that awaited her.

"I... Do you mind if I come over?" Camila again, frowned at the message. Her friend noticed the expression on her face.

"Something wrong Mila?" Camila looked up from her phone.

"I'm not sure. Lauren wants to come over her to talk. I don't really know what about, but from the whay she phrased it, it sounds serious."

Ally's face softened a little bit before she drug herself up from the couch.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Tell her yes. I'll get out of your hair before she gets here so you two can have some privacy." Ally wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

Camila picked up one of the pillows resting on one of the chairs and threw it at her friend. Ally held up her arms to block the incoming projectile.

"Hey now that was uncalled for!" Ally exclaimed. Camila just raised her eyebrows at her friend who held up her hands in surrender.

"Okay okay, I'm going, I'm going. But just so you know, I'm stealing these clothes for now."

She gestured to the shirt and pants that Camila had lent her to sleep in.

"I'll give them back later this week, cool?"

Camila nodded.

"Fine with me, just be sure you do. Those are my favorite sweats." Ally smiled.

"Hey, I always return clothes I borrow. I'm going to go quickly wash up a little bit and I'll leave you be."

Ally headed for the bathroom as Camila texted her girlfriend back.

"Yeah sure. What is this about Lo?" She slumped down onto the couch, waiting for a reply. She didn't have to wait long.

"I'll tell you where I get there. Ten minutes okay?"

Camila texted back an affirmative before yelling at Ally to be out in five.

Instead, seven minutes later, Ally wandered out of the bathroom. Camila shoved Ally's phone and purse into her arms, basically throwing her friend out the door, too nervous to care for her friend's well-being.

"I'll see you later Ally." The older woman just laughed at being booted from her friend's apartment, but made her way down to the lobby to wait for her cab, looking down at her phone to dial Troy's number to let him know that she's on her way home. But on her way out the door, she ran into a familiar woman. 

"Oh hey, Lauren! Here to see Camila I'm guessing?" Ally resisted in teasing the coach, not knowing her as well as she knew Camila. Lauren just frowned in response.

"Hi Ally. Yeah, I am. What are you doing here?" Ally thought she could detect a little apprehensiveness in Lauren's voice, but attributed it to the hangover she was currently experiencing.

"Oh, well when Camila and I went out last night, we might have gotten slightly drunk, so your girlfriend decided to let me use her couch for the night." Ally shrugged. It was normal enough to crash at a friend's place after getting drunk. She didn't think much of it.

"Ah, okay. Well, I'll see you later Ally." Lauren replied absentmindedly.

Ally noted Lauren being distant but didn't have time to dwell on it because her phone rang and it indicated Troy calling, she answered it and as her cab pulled up, she waved at Lauren before getting in to head back towards her and Troy's place.

There was a knock at the door, and Camila forced herself up off the couch to open the door for her girlfriend. Looking at her, Camila could immediately tell something was off. It didn't look like Lauren had gotten much sleep.

"Hey Lo, come in." She opened the door wider to allow Lauren inside. Lauren walked into the apartment, gathering the courage to ask what she was about the ask.

"Is there something going on between you and Ally?" She blurted out as soon as Camila turned around.

Camila furrowed her brows, genuinely confused with the question. If Lauren didn't look serious with the question she would've laughed.

"What? No! We're just friends, I thought you knew that. What's this about?"

Lauren produced an article clipping that Camila hadn't noticed the coach had in her possession, handing it to Camila.

Skimming over the article, Camila's mouth dropped.

_Sparks flying between competitors?_

__By: Jason Thompson_ _

_After their recent victory on The Voice, fellow competitors Camila Cabello and Ally Hernandez were seen at Insanity, celebrating. The very same club that Cabello was seen at with coach Lauren Jauregui only a couple weeks ago. The pair were photographed drinking and dancing together._

_It looked like there might be a little more going on between the two artists. What does this mean on the relationship front of Camila Cabello? Is she just testing the waters or is she strategically sleeping with coaches and competitors alike?_

_See page 6 for more on Cabello, Jauregui, and Hernandez._

The article was accompanied by a picture of her and Ally dancing, close together. The very same one where the dance floor were getting packed and crazy and they got pushed too close together and  just decided to go home.

Camila turned red, not because of anger but because of embarrassment. 'Maybe I'll make that promise come true after all. I'm never drinking again.'

She looked up at Lauren, who was standing in front of her, arms crossed, eyebrow raised. She wanted to laugh honestly. All of these are lies.

"I swear this isn't what it looks like..." Lauren shook her head.

"Not the best way to start a sentence Camila."

The singer flinched slightly at Lauren's hard tone when saying her name.

"I swear to God Lauren, we're just friends. We both got a little drunk, I think you know both of us well enough to know that the article is a lie." Lauren nodded slowly.

"I mean, we were just out having some fun. Ally is just a friend. I swear, you're the only one I love." Camila begged her girlfriend to believe her.

Lauren ran a hand through her hair, frustrated. "I saw her on the way into the building Camila. What am I supposed to think?"

Camila was on the verge of tears, not realizing how much she had screwed up.

"She was way too drunk to make it back to her place alone. Mine was closer, I offered her to use the couch. I swear, we weren't even sleeping in the same place." Camila continued.

Lauren melted down onto the couch, but Camila was stuck to her standing position in the middle of the floor.

"I really want to believe you Camz, really." Camila's ears perked up at the use of her nickname. "But trust is hard for me. You know that."

Camila nodded cautiously. "Lauren, Ally's enga-"

Lauren cut her off "Save it Camila, please."

Camila looked hurt because Lauren won't give her a chance to explain herself further.

Lauren sighed. "Look, I don't lo.. like you any less. But give me some space to process this, yeah?" Camila's heart sank. But she understood. If she was in the same position as Lauren was, she would want space.

"Okay. I understand." Camila said softly.

Lauren stood up from the couch. She walked over to her girlfriend. She rested a hand against the singer's forearm.

"I just need some time. We'll get through this." Lauren said, encouragingly.

Camila felt horrible. She had never intentionally meant to hurt Lauren's feelings. And now it was up to her to keep her promise to Harry and fix it.

"I know we will. And before you leave, please just know that I love you Laur. Ally is a good friend, but I'm in love with you. And I'll wait for you as long as it takes." Lauren nodded curtly.

"Can I.. give you a hug?" Camila asked shyly. She wasn't sure if her girlfriend would say yes, but to her surprise Lauren nodded. So Camila gently wrapped her arms around Lauren's neck, pulling her closer. Out of habit, Lauren's arm encircled her girlfriend's waist. They stood in this position for a few minutes, before Lauren pulled back.

"I'm sorry Camz. I just.." Camila cut her off.

"No, there's nothing you need to be sorry for. This is all on me. It's my fault." Lauren wanted to protest, but she knew that Camila was right. Lauren hadn't done anything wrong. And while she believed that it wasn't intentional on Camila's part, it didn't stop the doubt and the pain.

"I'll see you on set later then Camila?"

Camila nodded as she let go of the producer.

"I'll let myself out." Lauren said, leaving Camila to her own thoughts. The gravity of the conversation hit Camila, and she sank into a chair, tears streaming down her face.

_

"She did what!" Harry almost yelled.

Lauren shushed her.

"Quiet down H." Harry kept fuming.

"I specifically told her not to. Where does she live, I'm going to kill that little.." Lauren didn't want to hear the words that were about to pour out of Harry's lips. While the two were trying out the whole 'friendship' thing again and were only in the early stage, Lauren felt that the guy was the only one she could really confide in about Camila.

"Harry, please. She didn't mean it. And we both know you wouldn't do anything to her. You can't even hurt a fly." Harry scoffed, choosing to ignore her previous statement.

"Like hell she didn't!" Lauren almost hit the guy, but refrained. They were on set, too many witnesses.

"C'mon Harry, you know Camila. She wouldn't... couldn't... intentionally..." Lauren was reassuring herself as much as she was reassuring Harry.

The guy just sighed.

"I guess you're right, but that doesn't mean I can't be mad at her."

"You can." Harry heard the sadness in Lauren's voice, so she lowered her rage and scooted closer to Lauren

"Are you doing okay Lauren?" The coach appreciated Harry's concern, but still didn't feel like spilling her feelings.

"I don't know." She said and left it at that.

Sensing that the producer wanted to leave the subject alone, he didn't press.

Their friendship was still on rocky terms and Lauren could pull away at any moment.

"Well, how are you going to handle coaching?" Lauren shrugged.

"Like I always have. Separating my personal life and work life." Lauren knew it would be tougher than before, what with her feelings towards Camila. But she had to make it work.

Camila was still a talented singer, despite Lauren's hurt feelings. She didn't deserve to be left high and dry because Lauren felt like she was being overly sensitive.

"If you say so." Harry said skeptically, but cautiously. "But just so you know, next time I see her on set, we're going to have a little chat." Lauren laughed a little.

"Be nice to her Harry. I still... like her." Harry groaned but nodded.

"Fine. I'll be nice. For now."

_

Camila chose not to come to the studio after she had talked to Lauren, instead she chose to work on her song from home.

With this new issue with her relationship with Lauren, she wanted to do something to make it up to her. But she had no idea what to sing. So instead, she spent most of the day, thinking about and regretting what had happened the previous night.

She didn't regret going out to celebrate with Ally. But it was done. And unfortunately for her, it was also immortalized on the internet.

So the next day when she arrived at the studio, she got even more stares. Out of the comer of her eye, she saw Harry glaring at her. She immediately felt uncomfortable under the gaze, and ran off in search of Ally. Finding her walking out of a session with a voice coach, Ally greeted her friend.

"Hey Mila. What did Lauren want to talk about yesterday?"

Camila shushed her, hoping that no one had heard her, before pulling her into an empty studio, closing the door. Not really thinking about what that looked like.

"She thought I had a thing for you! That's what." Ally looked at Camila confused for a moment then bursted out laughing.

"What! You and me? That's crazy." Ally said still laughing.

"Well, apparently the paparazzi don't think so."

Ally  looked confused. Camila just groaned.

"You haven't seen it yet have you?" Ally shook her head, still confused. "Well, there apparently was a photographer at the club that took pictures of us dancing on the floor." Ally cringed.

"Yeah, exactly. Lauren came by to confront me about it." Ally gave her friend a look of sympathy.

"What did she say?" Camila sighed in sadness.

"To give her space. She said she wants to believe that I didn't.. you know, and I think she knows that I don't have a thing for you. But Lauren is sometimes weird about feelings. I know I hurt her." Ally wrapped an arm around her friend, pulling her in for a hug.

"It'll be alright Camila. You two belong together, it'll work out." Camila rested her head on the older girl's shoulder, letting all the pent up frustration and tears out. She's glad that her friend is there to support her.

"I hope so."

While Camila was preoccupied with voicecoaches and stage crews all morning, Ally went in search for Lauren. She wanted to set the record straight for the coach. It was partially her fault that the couple was in this situation.

She knocked on the door to the studio where Lauren usually coached. A voice called out that it was open, and she stuck her head in the door, to see Lauren sitting with Harry and Normani. The three of them looking intently back at her.

"Hey Lauren. Can we talk? Privately." She prayed that she would hear her out.

Lauren gave them a look and while the guy was about to protest, Normani pulled him outside without anymore words.

Ally stepped into the studio and closed the door quietly behind her. She went to go sit in the chair that Harry had just vacated. Lauren just looked at her expectantly.

"Well?" She said. Ally swallowed.

"Look, Camila really loves you, you know?" Lauren sighed.

"So that is what this is about." As if Lauren had expected anything else. Ally nodded. She wanted to help her friend fix things, even if Camila hadn't asked for the assistance.

"Just hear me out Lauren. I know right now, that I'm probably the last person you want to see. But please, don't blame Camila. I drag her out onto the dance floor as drunk as she was. It was my fault." Ally pleaded with the producer, who sat in silence. "It may not mean much coming from me, but I know you're the only one Camila has eyes for."

Lauren's lids shut, trying to come to terms with what the other brunette was saying. Deep down, she knew that was true, but her surface feelings still were battling for control.

"I appreciate you coming to me Ally. Really. But this is something I have to work out on my own. I know she didn't mean it. But I just don't know how to feel about it." Ally nodded sadly, she could understand that.

"Okay, but please. Just give her the benefit of the doubt. I'll even take all the blame for it. You can hate me all you want, just forgive her." Ally begged. Lauren waved her off.

"It's a nice sentiment Ally, but not necessary. I'll get over it, eventually. Was that all?" Ally could tell that the conversation was over, so she   
nodded and silently left the room.

As she got out of the room, she realized something. She cursed herself for not thinking of saying it to Lauren. She could've just showed her ring and all will be well. She went back to practice still cursing herself for not thinking that earlier.

Lauren was left with only her thoughts for company. She knew that Camila loved her. There was no doubt about that. Lauren just had to figure out how to forgive and forget.

 


	21. Fall For You

The week was now in full swing and Camila had to focus on getting ready for top eight. But it was difficult for her. What with Lauren asking her for space, she rarely saw the coach. Only in passing on set, they'd smile and wave at each other, sometimes engaging in meaningless small talk, but that was it. That killed Camila, to feel so cut off from the girl that she loved.

Outside the set, she was an emotional wreck. She didn't know that a little thing like this would affect her so deeply. Ally had come over to her apartment a couple of times since their night at the club, just to talk. She felt horrible about what was going on between Camila and Lauren, and she hoped that the coach would take her words to heart.

"She loves you Mila. Even if she hasn't explicitly said it, you know that she does. She just felt hurt, and the paparazzi situation didn't matter. She'll forgive you." Ally said, trying to make her feel better.

Camila gave her a small smile. "You're probably right, but it still hurts. You know? I mean, I knew that Lauren had some issues, but I didn't think she'd react that strongly. Honestly, if we were still on good speaking terms, I'd want to talk about it with her. Help her through it or at least understand it."

Ally nodded. "Of course, and when you two fix whatever this is, you'll have the chance. But enough about the sad stuff, what are you singing tonight for the top eight?"

Camila raised an eyebrow. "Trying to scout out your competition Hernandez?"

The singer looked offended. "Of course not!" She insisted.

Camila just laughed. "Well, it's a secret. I'm not telling anyone."

"You haven't even told Lauren?" Camila shook her head.

"It's kind of for Lauren, so I didn't want to tell her. And even so, we've rarely spoken. I got Harry to help me."

That surprised Ally. From what she knew, Harry had become pretty protective of Lauren, if that look that he'd given Ally the other day was any indication.

"How did you manage that?"

Camila sighed.

"It wasn't easy."

_

_"Really Camila? You want me to help you, after what you did?" Harry was taken aback by Camila asking for her help._

_"Please Harry, I need to make it up to her. And you're the only one who can help me." Which wasn't strictly true. She could get another coach to approve her song, but it was important that she square things with him. The guy in question folded his arms._

_"Why me? There are other coaches that can help you approve your song."_

_"Honestly? it's just... you're like Lauren's big brother. You're super protective when it comes to her and I just want to set things right between you and me."_

_Harry got quiet for awhile still with his arms crossed looking at Camila who is awkwardly balling her feet under his gaze._

_"Let's say that I would help you, but what is your plan?"_

_"Sing a song on stage, on Monday." Harry's eyebrows shot up._

_"You've got guts Cabello, I'll give you that." Camila looked at the performer sheepishly._

_"I mean.. It's not like I'm going to dedicate the song to her or anything, but it'll be for her none the less."_

_Harry shook his head, eyes closed._

_"I didn't mean to hurt her Harry, honest. I didn't know.. If I had.." Harry begrudgingly relented._

_This woman meant a lot to Lauren, and if Harry was honest, it was hard to dislike Camila Cabello._

_"Just make sure you'll fix it Cabello, she's broken up over you. And if you ever make her feel like this again, I will personally hire a hitman to take you out." He said seriously._

_Camila didn't put that past Harry._

_

"Well that sounds less complicated and difficult than I expected." Camila shrugged.

"But it was no less nerve wracking. A defensive and protective Harry Styles is nothing to play around with."

Ally laughed.

"I suppose you're right. So you're going to sing a song for her? How do you know that she'll understand that it's for her? Lauren can be a little dense, no offense that girl is one of the smartest person I know but when it comes to emotional things she's super oblivious." Ally pointed out.

"I just have to hope that she will."

_

During the same week, Lauren had taken a lot of time to herself. She rarely saw Camila, knowing that she was trying to avoid her. It hurt both of them, a lot. But it was necessary for now.

After doing a lot of thinking and reflecting, she knew that she had overreacted, a lot. Camila hadn't done anything wrong and Lauren was just taking everything too personally. After what Ally had said to her, it made her think. Ally was willing to take the brunt of Lauren's anger for Camila. She knew the two girls had become close friends over the duration of the show, but until that moment, she didn't realize how close.

Their friendship still kind of made Lauren insecure about her place in Camila's life, but she had to learn to trust the singer. And they would never get to that point if Lauren kept avoiding the girl. Lauren sat back on the couch in her apartment, running her hands through her hair, frustrated. She had royally screwed this one up and she had no idea how to go about fixing it.

Camila was now one of the most important people in her life, girlfriend or not. The excited and bubbly singer is something special.

Glancing over at her guitar, sitting on the stand in the corner of the room. She got up to walk over it. Picking the instrument up in her hand, she started strumming some chords. Closing her eyes,she let the music take control.

After she had hummed out the song in her mind, she opened her eyes and smiled. She had work to do.

_

It had been a long week, and now Friday had rolled around, everyone was scurrying around set, getting ready for performances that following Monday. Camila, with the help of Harry, had gotten everything ready for the performances. She was nervous. The singer is taking a big risk. Not in getting caught, but terms of her standing on the show. It was a possibility that what she did might not get her enough votes to move on. A small possibility, but a real one none the less. She just had to hope that it would be enough.

At the end of the day, Camila was packing up her stuff when she heard a knock on the door to the studio that she was practicing in. She walked over to open the door and was greeted by Lauren.

Camila smiled. "Hey Laur. What are you doing here? I was just about to head home."

She could see Lauren's nervousness, she was bouncing from one foot to the other, hands in her pockets.

"Hey Camz." She said softly. "I won't keep you long, I just wanted to give you this."

She took a USB drive out of her pocket and handed it to the singer. Camila took the device from Lauren's hand, turning it over in her hand. She held it up.

"What's this for?" She asked, confused. 

"Just open it and listen to the files on it this weekend. Please." Camila could hear the pleading tone in Lauren's voice, so she nodded.

"Okay. Oh and Lauren... can we.. can we talk sometime? Maybe next week?" She shyly and cautiously asked.

Lauren's face blanched but just pointed to the USB.

"Of course, but please, just look at that first." She said and turned to walk away without another word.

Camila watched the retreating woman before looking at the drive.

"Why are you so confusing?" She whispered to the device, although her words were meant for Lauren.

Tucking it into a pocket in her pants, she finished packing up and left to go home for the weekend.

It was late when she got back to her apartment, so she decided to go to bed and look at what Lauren had given her the next morning. So, she set the small thumb drive on her kitchen counter before getting ready to go to sleep. As she drifted off, her thoughts were only Lauren, hoping and praying that they'd get over whatever place they were in.

Camila woke up late the next morning, not being woken up by a phone call at eight in the morning for once. Or hung over, that was a definite plus.

As she lay on her back, she stared at the ceiling, willing herself to get out of bed. But of course, she lay there for another hour or so before getting up. So it was around eleven in the morning before she actually got out of bed.

She wandered over to her little kitchen to get a cup of coffee. As she waited for the water to boil, she laid eyes on the USB drive that Lauren had given her the previous day. Picking up the device, she examined it. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it. Setting the drive back down on her counter, she turned her attention to her now boiling water, pouring herself a cup of coffee.

Camila grabbed the USB, sat down at her coffee table, and popped open the lid to her laptop. Taking a sip from her glass, she waited for her computer to boot up before plugging the drive into it. Finding the correct directory and clicking on it, she found three files waiting for her. One was an audio file, one was a text file and one was a video file.

The audio file was entitled "Please Play First." So Camila double clicked on it. The track started to play, and Camila was graced with the sound what she thought might be a guitar. And she only confirmed that it was Lauren when the familiar raspy voice came on.

**The best thing about tonight's that we're not fighting  
It couldn't be that we have been this way before  
I know you don't think that I am trying  
I know you're wearing thin down to the core**

**But hold your breath**

**Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you  
Over again  
Don't make me change my mind**

**Or I won't live to see another day  
I swear its true  
Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
You're impossible to find**

Camila's eyebrows shot up as she listened to her girlfriend sing. She rarely heard Lauren sing outside her own music productions. And when she did, there was almost always another voice harmonizing with her, often Camila's own. But to hear Lauren's voice, in all its alto glory was always something else. And the lyrics of the song weren't lost on Camila either.

**This is not what I intended  
I always swore to you I'd never fall apart  
You always thought that I was stronger  
I may have failed  
But I have loved you from the start  
Oh  
  
But hold your breath  
Because tonight will be the night that I will fall for you  
Over again  
Don't make me change my mind  
Or I won't live to see another day  
I swear it's true  
Because a girl like you is impossible to find  
It's impossible**

Camila felt a tear or two drip down her cheek. She desperately wanted to watch the video clip, but also wanted to finish listening t Lauren sing. It touched Camila that Lauren would do something like this for her. She only hoped that this meant that they would be okay.

**So breathe in so deep  
Breathe me in  
I'm yours to keep  
And hold onto your words  
'Cause talk is cheap  
And remember me tonight  
When you're asleep**

And the song continued, turning into a full acoustic version of Secondhand Serenade's song. As she listened, a smile grew on her face. If the video clip was what she hoped it was, her performance that coming Monday would be perfect. As the song ended, Camila's emotions were all over the place, but she closed the track and opened up the video clip which was titled "Me Next." A video of Lauren's face popped up on her screen. Camila smiled at the image of her girlfriend before hitting play.

"Hey Camz." Lauren started, already running a hand through her messy hair. "I guess if you're   
watching this, I got the courage to give the files to you and you listened to the song I did." Lauren smiled sadly.

"Look, I'm sorry. I overreacted and took out my insecurities on you. That's not your fault. You were just having fun with Ally, I even encouraged you to go out. By the way, that girl is a great friend, you need to keep her around."

Lauren laughed, although Camila wasn't sure what about. But then Lauren got quiet.

"It's definitely not enough to just say I'm sorry over a video and give you a song I made, and expect everything to be okay. But I hope that it's a start. I know you have a performance this Monday, and I know that I've been avoiding you all week, and I didn't mean to make you hurt more than I already did. But, please, take the weekend to think about it, and if you want, come over to my apartment after the show on Monday and we'll talk."

Camila sat, captivated by the video playing on her laptop. She had hoped that this was Lauren's way of saying things would be okay, but she had never imagined that Lauren would be so forthcoming with her feelings.

"This is so not me. I hope you know that. What you do to me." Lauren laughed.

"Feelings and I have never gotten along, but with you, I know I've told you, but it's different. I just want to make this work. And I know that we can make this work babe but it won't if we don't talk about what I've been trying to avoid." It seemed that Lauren wanted to talk about her insecurities and get over them as much as Camila wanted to help her girlfriend.

"So yeah." Lauren said nervously.

"I'll see you on Monday Camz. Remember what I said, this wasn't your fault and I'm sorry I made you feel that way." Lauren offered her a small smile before turning off the camera. Camila leaned back on the couch, processing what Lauren had just said.

Her girlfriend was right, that this was a lot more complicated than just apologizing and expecting things to go back to the way they were. But it was a start. Camila leaned forward and clicked on the last file on the drive, the text file. On her screen popped a notepad document with what was titled as 'Lauren's Address.'

It read,

"Camila, I don't want to force you to come over Monday if you're not ready to talk. So I'll leave it all up to you. Below is my address, won't see you after the show, but come over if you're ready. I love you Camz."

Camila looked at the indicated address which comprised of a street number, building number and apartment number. It looked to be not too far from where Lauren's recording studio is located. But Camila would need to double check to be sure.

And that last line made Camila stop and stare. 'I love you Camz.' This was the first time that Lauren had explicitly said, or even typed the words. Staring at the words, Camila knew there was no way in hell that she wouldn't be seeing Lauren after the show on Monday. But this new development made the girl even more nervous for her performance.

_

Monday rolled around and true to her word, Camila hadn't seen Lauren all day. She knew that the coach was avoiding her, for what was hopefully the last time. She didn't necessarily mind given the circumstances, but it didn't really hurt any less. So she just distracted herself all day with stage and sound checks, getting ready for the show, and just generally trying to keep her mind off the coach.

So when that night came round and when Camila was standing backstage before the show started, she was surprised to see Lauren. She shot her a smile and without warning pulled her into a hug. Lauren wasn't surprised by the contact this time, so she just wrapped her arms around the singer, returning the hug. When they both pulled back, they just stared at each other.

"I'm sorry Camz." Lauren whispered.

Camila just shook her head. "I know."

Before either woman could say another word, they both got called that the show was about to start. Lauren looked apologetically at her girlfriend before running off towards her chair.

And as Camila took her spot on stage, she looked down at Lauren and Harry. Both coaches gave her a look, although contrast to the other, Lauren looked encouraging and Harry gave her a look that said 'Don't you dare fuck this up.'

Camila gulped before listening to Carson start the show.

She would be going last this time, since she came in first the previous week, so she had a little while to wait. She'd also be going after the commercial break as they needed time to prepare the stage for her performance. So as the singer waited with a guitar in hand and watched her fellow performers backstage, she thought about what she was about to do. She only hoped that Lauren would understand.

Before she knew it, it was her turn to go. Finishing out the show was almost as nerve wrecking as going first. The bar had been set high that night by everyone, and she needed to reach and exceed it.

The stage and mic had been set up for her, so as she sat, waiting for the show to go back on the air, she looked down at the coaches. They were all looking at her expectantly, waiting to see what she was going to do. Well, besides Harry, who already knew.

"And we're back! Last up tonight is everyone's favorite from Team Lauren, singing Not A Bad Thing, Camila Cabello!"

The crowd cheered as Camila mentally got herself into the song she's about about to perform. As she did so, she did miss the look that Harry shot Lauren.

Running her hands over the strings, she took a breath. The crowd cheered in appreciation of her skills with the instrument.

**Said all I want from you  
Is to see you tomorrow  
And every tomorrow  
Maybe you'll let me borrow, your heart  
And is it too much to ask for every Sunday?  
An while we're at it throw in every other day to start**

She wanted nothing more and just look at Lauren, to see her reaction, but she didn't want to risk messing herself up, so she kept her eyes on anything but the coaches.

**I know people make promises all the time  
Then they turn right around and break them  
When someone cuts your heart open with a knife and you're bleeding  
But I could be that guy to heal it over time  
And I won't stop until you believe it  
'Cause baby you're worth it**

Lauren looked up at the singer, a small smile coming over her face. She dared to hope that the song was a response to her admission, but she wasn't sure. Camila had been preparing for days before Lauren had given her the thumb drive. But a girl could dream, right?

**So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me  
Cause you might look around and find your dreams come true with me  
Spend all your time and your money just to find out that my love was free  
So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me, me  
It's not a bad thing to fall in love with me, me**

As Camila sang the chorus, she was continually hitting high notes that elicited cheers and applause from the audience. The singer always had a different performer's high when she was playing an instrument on stage along with singing. She got more focused and in the zone to her playing. Like the crowd was fueling her emotions and passion for the instrument.

**No I won't fill your mind with broken promises  
And wasted time  
And if you fall  
You'll always land right in these arms  
These arms of mine**

**Don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me  
Cause you might fuck around and find your dreams come true with me  
Spend all your time and your money just to find out that my love was free  
So don't act like it's a bad thing to fall in love with me, me  
It's not a bad thing to fall in love with me, me  
Not such a bad thing to fall in love with me**

Camila had cut the song there, believing that it was enough to both hopefully get her point across to Lauren and successfully move herself into the next week. She ended on a long note, which the crowd screamed and hollered for. As she finally allowed herself to look down at the coaches, she saw Blake and Adam clapping along with everyone else. Harry looked up at her approvingly. And when she finally looked at Lauren, she was captivated by the way that the coach is just staring intensely at her.

Yes, she had made the right decision.

_

Camila held up the slip of paper she had written Lauren's address on. Taking a breath, she walked into the building, greeting the guy at the desk. He nodded in acknowledgement before Camila took the elevator up to the top floor. She had an odd desire to chew her nails in anticipation and nervousness.

All she wanted to do was get past this. The two women had forgiven the other, but the moment wasn't forgotten, and until they actually talked about it, it never would be. Stopping outside Lauren's door, Camila gulped and put her knuckles up to the door. Knocking three times, she waited for Lauren to open up.

She didn't have to wait long before the door was cracked open and she was greeted by her girlfriend. "You came." Lauren said hesitantly, like she didn't believe that Camila would actually be there. But the singer just nodded.

"Of course I did Lo. I want this to work as much as you do. Besides, I wanted to talk to you too." Lauren opened the door wider, allowing Camila into her apartment. Just like Lauren's recording studio, her apartment had a beautiful view of the LA skyline. Both women stood side by side, looking out the window.

"It's been a long time since we've done this." 

Camila remarked and Lauren had to agree. The coach reached down to grab Camila's hand, intertwining their fingers.

"I know I've said it a lot, but I'm sorry Camila. I overreacted, you didn't deserve what I did." Lauren said as she gazed out the window.

Camila took her free hand to cup Lauren's cheek and turn her face to hers.

"I just want to forget it ever happened and move past this Bees. But we can't until I know why."

Lauren sighed. She knew that the singer was right. The coach had never told anyone but Harryy about her home-life and abandonment issues, and on some level she still wasn't ready, but she knew that she had to.

"I didn't have the best home life Camz." She started. "My parents divorced when I was a kid and my mom just left. She was never there until college and even then she just forced me into going to college because she taught there. Like offering me a college experience I didn't want would fix the years of her absence." Camila gripped her girlfriend's hand tighter, encouraging her to let it all out.

"Harry was one of my only friends during college. And when he let me down, I felt even more abandoned and alone. Almost everyone in my life who I've ever really cared about has let me down or walked out. My mom didn't even try hard to fix it. Harry.. well we're working on it, but it's been five or six years. I had close friends in high school who never contacted me after high school. I just... it's hard for me Camila. I know this is a shitty explanation and isn't one that you deserve, but it's all I can give you."

Lauren's eyes dropped to the floor. "Trust has always been hard for me. I've just had so many shitty things happen involving people that I had trusted, that it's affected me in ways I wish it hadn't.

"Hey Lauren, look at me." Camila said, absorbing in Lauren's story. She always knew Lauren had personal life issues, but she hadn't expected that. Lauren's eyes met hers.

"I know that you're scared that I'll leave you or that I'll find someone else. But I promise you that I never will. I want to help you through this." Camila smiled at her girlfriend.

Lauren didn't say anything, instead just leaned up to press her lips against Camila's. It was the first time in a week or so since they had kissed, and both women had missed the feeling.

Camila brought her hand up to Lauren's neck, pulling her's lips closer to hers, if that was possible. When the two needed to come up for air, Camila rested her forehead on Lauren's. The two grinned at each other, knowing that things would all be okay.

 


	22. Gravity

The next day, Ally cornered her friend on set.

"So, how did it go?" She asked excitedly. Camila blushed slightly and Ally squealed at the sight.

"You totally did it last night didn't you?" She pointed out.

"What? No!" Camila almost shouted before lowering her voice so they wouldn't be overheard. "No, we might have made out a little bit, but we both want to be able to be open about our relationship before we do that."

Ally huffed, "Well, you at least had a good chat?"

Camila nodded, not wanting to talk too much about it. She and Lauren had talked at length in between makeout sessions about how to move forward. But it still felt private. Lauren had shared a good deal of personal information. Camila felt the need to keep that between them.

"I mean, yeah. We talked. I got a bit more insight into who Lauren Jauregui is. We both came to terms with it. I think we're working on moving past this."

"Well that's a relief." Ally remarked before Camila remembered something that Lauren had told her the previous night.

"Yeah, Lauren also mentioned that you were a good friend and that I should keep you around." Ally furrowed her brow.

"What? Why? Your entire fight was pretty much over me." Camila shook her head.

"No, our disagreement was about her and her insecurities. But it's nice to know you think so highly of yourself." Both women laughed. "But no, she told me about your little chat.' Ally's face turned a shade of red it rarely ever did.

"Really? What did she say?" Ally asked hesitantly.

Camila shrugged, like it didn't really matter. "Oh just this and that. She mentioned that you seemed adamant on us kissing and making up. That you told her that you'd take all the blame."

Camila raised an eyebrow. "I didn't know you cared that much Hernandez."

Ally bit her lip. "Well... I just don't want both of you to end you know.. obviously ya'll will encounter problems in the future but If I can help it, I would do anything to maintain that good relationship. I mean I ship you two so hard! You won't eve-" She rambled before she was cut off by Camila throwing her arms around the older female.

"Oof." Ally was unprepared to be tackled into the hug but when she recovered, she smiled at Camila.

"Thank you. It meant a lot Ally." Camila whispered into Ally's shoulder. The brunette lightly nodded.

"You're like my little sister now Mila, and as an oler sister I don't want to see my little sis sad. And well... I just don't want to get in the way of a great relationship before it could really get started." The singer admitted.

"Well, it's appreciated." Camila said, letting go her friend. "And I hope that you'll stick around to see what it turns into." Camila said.

Ally, of course, nodded vigorously. "You're not going to be able to get rid of me that easily Cabello." The two laughed. "Well, I suppose I'd better release you for tonight, right?"

Camila grimaced but nodded. She was not looking forward to the results from the prior evening.

"Hey, I'm sure you'll do fine."

Camila shrugged. "I guess we'll see." She said before giving her friend a goodbye and running off.

_

And there she was again, standing on stage with the overwhelming desire to chew her nails off. Waiting for Carson to read off the first two names that would be moving into top six. This time standing between Louis and a girl from Blake's team named Hailee, Camila patiently waited for the results.

"And once again, you've spoken America! It was a close race this week." Carson started.

Camila took the opportunity to look around and her eyes briefly met Lauren's. The coach smiled at her girlfriend, before turning her attention back to Carson.

"The first two artists saved from elimination this week are in my hand." Carson shook the red envelope with their names in his hand. The crowd cheered in anticipation. Opening the envelope and pulling out a single card, Carson began to read the name printed on it.

"Moving on to next week.." Pause. "From Team Harry." Camila knew who it was then and there. He was the only one left from Harry's team.

"Louis Tomlinson!" The goofy male fist pumped.

"Yes!" He yelled, followed by a jump into the air. He grinned at the audience, waving as he made his way over to the side of the stage. Camila watched Carson pull out the other card.

"Also moving on to next week..." Camila blinked.

"From Team Lauren." Camila's ears perked up, it was still between her and Zayn. "Camila Cabello!"

The crowd clapped and whistled as Camila squealed a little bit, the bubbly singer bouncing up and down. She followed Louis over to the side of the stage where the male gave her a high five, which she returned obviously.

She turned to grin brightly at Ally, who was still standing up on stage. The audience would be morons to not choose the older woman to move on. "And we'll reveal the next two after the commercial break."

And cut.

Camila made her way over to Ally, who was smiling, despite still being up on stage. "Way to go Mila! I knew you'd make it."

The singer congratulated her friend. Camila nodded excitedly. "Yeah, and so will you! There's no way in hell that you won't."

Ally waved her hand. "We'll see. What happens, happens I guess."

Camila couldn't believe that her friend seemed to have little care if she moved on to the next round or not.

"Don't get me wrong, I'd love to move on of course. But regardless, this was an amazing experience and I wouldn't regret a thing if I got voted off right now. I met a really great friend, have an amazing coach and I've learned so much. And I don't think I'm going to be hurting for singing gigs anytime soon." She winked.

"One minute everyone!" Someone called out. The signal for everyone to get in their positions. Camila scampered off to stand by Louis.

"Looks like we might be facing off again Mila." Louis said to her.

And the singer nodded. "Looks like it. And no offense, but I hope it's a different outcome than last time."

Louis laughed. "Dare to dream Cabello." He challenged.

But the signal that the show was going to go back on the air came before she had the chance to respond.

"Welcome back everyone! Now, as promised, the names of the next two to be moving on." Carson pulled another card out of a new envelope.

"From Team Adam.." Camila grinned, she knew what was coming next. And from the light in Ally's eyes, she did too. "Ally Hernandez!" The crowd clapped and cheered for the artist as she fist pumped like Louis had.

She almost ran over and pulled Camila into a hug, not caring who saw. Camila laughed and also threw her arms around her friends.

At this sight, Lauren almost expected to feel insecure. But to her surprise, she felt nothing but happiness and pride. It was a different, but good feeling. She was happy that both girls had moved on, and even happier that Camila had a friend to celebrate with.

Camila's eyes had darted down to Lauren, to see her already looking at her, smile on her face, clapping along with the rest of the crowd. Camila was happy that the two had been able to work out the insecurity that her girlfriend possessed. It wasn't cured, of course. But it was a step in the right direction.

_

Moving into top six, it was time to really bring your A game. There would be no saves this week, the bottom two would be going home, period. So, obviously no one wanted to be in that position.

Most of the artists spent the entire week rehearsing their asses off, Camila and Ally included. So much so, that the girls didn't have too much time to themselves. One positive of this experience though was that Camila got to spend long amounts of time with Lauren. She's her coach after all.

After their issues were worked out, the couple started to rehearse in Lauren's recording studio again. Playing with fire with the producers and paparazzi, but they wanted time to themselves.

"It's a good song pick Camz stop stressing so much." Lauren said to her girlfriend who was standing at the microphone stand.

Camila ran her hands through her hair. "I know, I'm just.. nervous. This is really big. Not that everything else wasn't, but I mean, Monday determines who moves on to finals. And not to mention the whole experience is almost over."

She would be lying if she hadn't thought about what her life would be like after the show.

"It's been a crazy ride, hasn't it? I never would have expected this entire thing to lead to what it did." Lauren smiled. "But I wouldn't have it any other way, would you?"

Camila shook her head. "Of course not. I made some great, life long friends, met this amazing coach and producer who might be my girlfriend, and I got to sing on national TV. The whole thing is pretty surreal.

Lauren smirked. "Do I know this 'girlfriend' that you're talking about?" She teased.

Camila walked over to the chair Lauren is situated in.

"I don't know. You might know her. She's this really amazing performer with an even better voice. She's cute, beautiful, sexy, not to mention sweet." Lauren glared. "But she's all mine." She whispered, climbing onto Lauren's lap.

"I don't know Camz, she sounds pretty badass."

"Oh I think she is." Lauren shivered as Camila whispered into her ear. She leaned back to pull Lauren up by the collar of her shirt, pressing their lips together. Lauren gripped Camila by the thighs, pulling her closer to her. It was moments like this where it felt like they were just two normal people. Like being a world famous producer and an up and coming singer meant nothing. Losing themselves to each other. Needing to come up for air, Camila pulled back first. She smirked at the state she had left her girlfriend. Lauren was breathing heavily, her eyes darkened.

"Still as amazing as the first time we kissed." Camila said, almost dreamily. And of course, Lauren agreed.

Comfortable with her choice of seat, Camila just settled into Lauren's lap, legs still straddling her. Camila's arms settled on Lauren's shoulders. "I almost feel like I don't know what we're going to do after the show is over. I mean, everyone is going to be paying attention to this, to us." Camila said.

"I mean.. we can continue to keep it a secret, if that's what you want?" Lauren said. She don't want Camila to feel uncomfortable with their relationship out in public. She knew how hard it was on a relationship to always being asked about it by reporters.

But the singer shook her head. "No, of course not. I just.. It'll take some time getting used to."

Lauren reached up to grab hold one of Camila's arms that was resting on her shoulder.

"Yeah, it will. But I'll be there with you the entire way babe."

Camila smiled at her girlfriend before she leaned in to capture the producer's lips again. Camila tried to convey through the kiss how much Lauren's support meant to her, pulling Lauren's face closer to hers.

Lauren's hands made their way up to Camila's sides, causing the her to shiver. They hadn't gone anywhere besides making out, but they still let their hands wander once in a while. Camila pulled back before Lauren's hands went too much further.

"We can't." She gasped.

Both girls hated to stop, but once again, didn't want their first time to be a rushed deal in Lauren's recording studio. There would be plenty of time for that later.

"Yeah, sorry. Just got a little antsy."

Camila scoffed. "Don't apologize. I love your hands on my body." The Latina winked seductively, causing Lauren to swallow quite hard. Camila giggled at the effect she had on her girlfriend before getting off Lauren.

"You ready to go again?" She asked her girlfriend as she made her way back to the microphone stand. She was going to make this performance perfect, even if it killed her. Lauren nodded, pulling her chair back to her mixing board, hitting the play button on the track.

_

It was Monday again. And surprisingly, even with the added pressure of being the week before finals, Camila wasn't as nervous as she had been before. Perhaps it was because she had made it this far, Always within the top four bar that first week of live shows. She didn't want to assume it was a sure thing she would be in the finals, but then again, she was pretty confident.

She was so busy that Monday that she hardly got any time to see both Lauren and Ally. She saw her friend in passing, wishing her good luck in the hallways. Which Ally returned in kind. Both hated that they would most likely be going up against each other in the finals, but at the same times, it was exciting. Made the competition that much more.

It was only an hour before the show was set to go on the air, when Camila got a moment to breathe.

And of course, Lauren was there to boost her confidence. "You'll do great tonight Camz. You've worked really hard for this." Lauren said, patting the singer on the back. Camila nodded her head absentmindedly. Her head and thoughts were elsewhere at the moment.

"Yeah." She said.

"Hey Camz, look at me." Camila turned her head to meet her girlfriend's eyes.

"I'm serious. You'll do amazingly. Remember, you're doing this for you, not for anyone else." Camila gave Lauren a lopsided grin, then nodded vigorously.

"I just want everything to go perfectly. And I mean, I'm not as nervous as I have been, but still."

Lauren understood. She knew that feeling very well, that was one of the things about performing. Every time it got a little easier, but the nerves never really went away. She just rubbed her hand up against Camila's bicep.

"I get that, definitely. But just believe in yourself and you'll be fine." Camila gave Lauren a small grin before pulling her into a one armed hug.

"I hate to break up this cute little moment, but we're needed on set Lauren." Both women turned their heads to the voice to see Harry.

She looked at Camila sympathetically. "Sorry Camila. Good luck tonight by the way."

"Thanks Harry. And don't worry, I understand. Show business, right?" Harry chuckled.

"Indeed. C'mon Lauren." Harry said before walking off.

Lauren looked apologetically at Camila who motioned for her to go. She got up to go follow Harry after giving Camila a kiss in the cheek, leaving her alone.

A few minutes later, Ally came to come find the Latina. It was time that all the performers take their places on the stage. So Camila got up to go follow her friend.

This time Camila would be going second to last. She was okay with that. At least she wouldn't be going first or last. She always preferred somewhere in the middle. And as she watched Ally perform She Will Be Loved, she believed more and more that Ally was here in the top six for good reason. She certainly knew how to draw a crowd and of course her voice was top notch.

Then it came time for Camila to go. The stage darkened, only a soft blue light highlighting the stage. The quiet took the audience in anticipation. She began by clapping out a beat, beckoning the audience to join her. Very quickly she had the entire crowd clapping along to her beat.

**Do you remember feeling invincible?**   
**When there was trouble it was us against the**   
**world**   
**We kept running, running through the night**   
**Chasing the sun 'til anything felt right**

With the audience keeping her beat along with the band playing the background, she grasped the microphone that was slotted into the stand. The chorus started out slow compared to the rest of the song, but it wasn't a slow song by any means. Over the course of the show, Camila had certainly tuned into a different genre than where she had started.

**Can you save me now?**   
**I get lost up in the clouds**   
**Can you save me now?**   
**You were my gravity**   
**Can you save me now?**   
**When the ground drops out I get lost in the**   
**clouds**   
**Save me now**   
**You were my gravity**   
**Now my world is shattering**   
**Ooooh, you were my gravity**   
**Ooooh, you were my gravity**

The second part of the chorus is when the song really picked up. Belting out a high and explosive note, Camila thrust her fist into the air, closing her eyes as artists tended to do when they hit the higher and louder notes. As she continued the chorus, she brought her hands up to point out at the audience, waving them above her head.

**You left me out there with no one but myself**   
**In an open field for the lightning to strike me**   
**down**   
**I was the moon, you were the sun**   
**I can't seem to shine now that you're gone**   
**Now I'm out of orbit cause you left without**   
**warning**   
**Are you somewhere better now?**

At the mention of the sun and moon, Camila looked and pointed up to the ceiling, as to emphasize her point. The audience, some of them still clapping on the beat was cheering and whistling while she sang. This energized the singer to pull the microphone out of the stand for the second chorus.

**Can you save me now?**   
**I get lost up in the clouds**   
**Can you save me now?**   
**You were my gravity**   
**Can you save me now?**   
**When the ground drops out I get lost in the**   
**clouds**   
**Save me now**   
**You were my gravity**   
**Now my world is shattering**   
**Ooooh, you were my gravity**

Camila and Lauren had both decided to cut out the bridge as well as the end chorus. They both felt that the first two verses were the epitome of the song and the most important. It wasn't necessary to sing the entire song. But what she did sing was just as powerful. Camila had been singing softer, more subdued songs the last couple of weeks. So to hear such an explosive, upbeat song was a welcomed change, for both the audience and for the singer herself.

One of the things Camila now loved so much about the rock vibe was that it felt much more freeing to perform. Some genres felt restricting on how loose you could get with your movements and even vocal hits. But with rock, it was entirely acceptable to be nearly flailing around, singing your heart out on the highest notes.

The singer had ended her performance on the softer side, sliding the microphone back into the stand as the stage faded to black with only that singular, soft, blue backlight. The audience clapped, whistled and screamed in approval of Camila's performance. To the singer, that was one of the best moments of performing, hands down. To know that the people watching you truly appreciate your art. She imagined it was the same for artists, writers, actors and anyone else really. Self-validation some might call it.

Camila would just call it magical.


	23. This Is It

To say Camila's nerves were going wild that night would be an understatement. This was the biggest reveal night so far. It would decide who would move on to finals. Lauren had been supportive all day, but Camila still felt apprehensive.

"C'mon Camz. You've been finishing within the top four for weeks now. It was only that first week that was a slip up. And let's be real, that was probably due to other things besides your singing." Lauren tried.

"But what if.." Camila started but Lauren didn't let her finish.

"Don't focus on the what ifs babe. You'll make it, know you will." Lauren offered Camila her crooked smile. The singer sighed, but figured that it Lauren was right. It would do no good to freak out over it. Votes were probably done and counted by now. They were now just waiting for the show premier to find out.

"You know, I don't know what I would have done without you Laur." Camila looked over to her girlfriend sitting next to her. And she meant it. Lauren had been more than just her girlfriend over the course of the show. Lauren had put all her faith in the singer and Camila didn't know if she would be where she was if it hadn't been for that.

"You still would have gone out there and wowed everyone. But as it is, you won't have to find out." Camila smiled. 

"Thanks Laur." Lauren nodded.

"What are girlfriends for?"

_

Now was the moment of truth. Everything Camila had done so far had lead up to this point.

"We've got a jam packed show for you tonight. But I'm sure everyone is excited to learn who will move on to finals!" Carson said and the crowd cheered in affirmation.

"As you all know, this week there will be no instant saves. The bottom two are going home. Period."

That was the most nerve wracking part in Camila's opinion. Knowing that it was all or nothing.

"Well, lets get to it then!"

They had edited in some backstage interviews and progress clips, so those were put up on the screens. As well as just cut in for the viewers at home. Most of them were just the remaining contestants saying how far they had all come and how great of an experience it had been.

After that portion was over and done with, the cameras were back on Carson and the six remaining artists.

"It's time." Carson said dramatically as the spotlights zeroed in on the stage. There were loud screams and whistles coming from the studio audience.

"The first artist moving on to the final performance is.." Camila blinked a couple of times in the span of Carson's pause.

"From Team Adam.." Ally already was thrusting her fist at her side.

"Ally Hernandez!" Camila smiled at her friend as Ally screamed a little bit, bouncing up and down. As she ran off towards the side of the stage, she shot Camila a pair of thumbs up.

"The next artist moving on is.." Camila clenched her fists. She was getting real tired of the pauses.

"From Team Lauren..." Camila bit her lip, Zayn was still in it, so there was a possibility that it was him.

"Camila Cabello!"

The singer felt a wave of relief and excitement wash over her. She had made it. Her hands had shot up to cover her mouth, a little in awe that she had moved on to Finals. She didn't budge from her place on stage, a little too out of it to move. So Louis gave her a gentle push over in Ally's direction. She walked quickly over to her friend who developed her in a hug.

"I told you that you'd make it!" Ally said.

Camila nodded without pulling out of the hug. But when she finally did, she saw Lauren give her a smug 'I told you so,' look. She just rolled her eyes, but was glad that her girlfriend was correct.

The next week was going to be long and stressful, but in the end it would hopefully be worth it.

_

It had been a long week. Preparing for finals had taken a toll on everyone. Camila had been working taken a toll on everyone. Camila had been working closely with Lauren for the entire week, much closer than the two had before. Not that either of them cared. It was an excellent excuse to spend the entire week with each other. Of course, most of that time was spent working, but they had treated themselves to a few make out breaks as well.

Camila still recalled the exact conversation that she had with Lauren that day after it was announced she would move one. 

_

_"So you're in the finals Camz. And congratulations by the way." Lauren grinned. "I  
knew you had it in you." The artist smiled gratefully at Lauren._

_"Thanks Laur. It's surreal, but you know, I'm super excited." Lauren nodded._

_"You should be. But that's we need to talk about, do you know how finals work this season?" Camila  
shook her head. She had been so preoccupied with other things, she hadn't bothered to find out._

_"Well, it's similar to most of the other seasons. You'll be doing one solo performance, a duet with me as well as an original song." Camila's eyebrows raised up in surprise. An original song?_

_"Really?" She asked a little apprehensively. The producer nodded._

_"Yep. I'm assuming you'll come up with you solo performance on your own. We can talk about the duet. As for your original, can you do it? I know you obviously arrange music..." Lauren was pretty sure  
she had never heard Camila singing original lyrics, ever._

_The singer bit her lip. It wasn't that she don't write original songs, it just that there wasn't enough time for her to write an entirely new song._

_"I mean.. yes? I just.. have never shared them with anyone." She was a little insecure about her writing. She had never fancied herself the best writer ever. In fact, she made sure that her music never saw that light of day. Lauren scooted closer to Camila, wrapping an arm around her._

_"I know it's scary to debut your own music. And something you'll have to get used to when you become a big time artist. Not everyone is going to appreciate your music. But for every person that doesn't, there will be at least three or four people that will like it. You just have to give your music a chance. You'll never grow as an artist if you keep your music bottled up." Camila nodded slightly._

_"I know. It's just a little overwhelming. I don't even know which one to pick. Most of them aren't even finished." Which was true. When she wrote, she'd write a few lines, sometimes a couple of verses before giving it up._

_"Do you have some that are?" Camila nodded. There were a couple that she had finished. She just had never had them really, cleanly, put together yet._

_"Do you have them with you?" Lauren asked wanting to get a start on this as soon as they could. The earlier they began the process, the more time Camila would have to get comfortable with her music._

_Again, the singer nodded. She had the lyrics and sheet music saved in a personal file on her laptop. She reached over to the table to grab it, opening the lid. She searched and found the folder she was looking for._

_To Lauren's surprise there were dozens of files with that folder. When Camila said she had written a few things, she was obviously downplaying it._

_'Wow Camz. You really weren't kidding when you said you wrote a little bit. " The singer blushed a little._

_"I.. write when I'm emotional. And that tends to be often." Her music was often how she expressed her inner feelings. Those that were hidden underneath her bubbly and exuberant personality._

_She turned her attention back to her laptop, locating and opening two different text documents. She handed her laptop to Lauren, to let her read the lyrics written. She kept thinking to herself that this is Lauren and that her girlfriend wouldn't judge her for her music, but it was still an odd feeling to willingly let someone else read it. She kept her own music to herself, not even Dinah had read any. But she knew that she had to trust that Lauren would see her lyrics for what they were._

_Lauren could tell that the singer was uncomfortable about letting her read her music, but she didn't know why. As the producer read over the lyrics, she was surprised by what she read. Mostly because these songs are really emotional and that contradicts Camila's personality. Lauren almost think that it wasn't  fair that Camila was a good performer, a good singer, and a good songwriter. It was like a triple threat in the business. If Lauren had any doubts that Camila would get some sort of record deal or something after the show, they were eradicated. If no one else wanted her, she would for sure. And she was pretty confident that she would be at the top of Camila's list of producers to work with._

_"These are really good Camz. " Lauren said, turning to her girlfriend. Camila blushed slightly._

_"You think so?" She asked shyly._

_Lauren nodded. "Of course! Just because we're dating, doesn't mean I'd lie to you about that. I really think they're great."_

_Camila smiled slightly. This was a great thing for her. "So, any ideas or anything?"_

_Lauren turned her attention back to both songs in front of her. She wanted to ask her girlfriend on where she gets the inspiration to write something this good. After a few minutes of contemplating, she pointed one out, "I think this one is the best of the two. The other one is good, but I don't know if it would be quite right for finals. This one is though." She told her girlfriend her thoughts but one of the reasons that she chose that song is she felt some sort of connection towards it._

_Camila looked over at the song and nodded. She agreed that it was more up to speed for finals. It was, also by a stroke of luck, the song that she felt more confident with the music she had written._

_She wanted to tell Lauren that she wrote this song for her but due to her not being confident in what she has written, she refrained to tell her. She'll tell her, but today is not that day._

_"May I?" She asked, pointed at her laptop. Lauren immediately handed the computer back._

_Camila went back to her folder of originals, opening up the music for it. "So, I wrote out the piano notes for it, but I think it's missing something. Maybe you could take a look?"_

_"Sure." She took the computer back from Camila to look at the music, humming out the notes to herself. "I think that it's really just missing that beat in there. Maybe we can add some stuff in the studio. Give is some sort of RnB feel? Not like, a huge thing, but I don't know if the music is quite suited to the piano alone."_

_Camila nodded. She had never thought of that. She only knew how to play the piano, so Lauren's suggestion of adding other instruments in post production wasn't something that had come to mind._

_"Yeah. Sounds like a plan."_

_

She and Lauren had worked on her song for the majority of the week, since it had the most work to be done on it. Camila's music was more complete than the rest, but both women still had work to make it performance ready. Lauren had sat down with Camila at her mixing equipment to help her with the beat. 

Admittedly, Camila had also allowed Lauren to add in the her personal flavor to the mix as well. The song itself was a little more RnB than Camila would have originally planned, but after listening to it, and recording herself singing the vocals, she knew it was the right choice. She had never imagined that her music would ever see the light of day, nevermind performing a song in front of millions of viewers. But here she was. And this obviously wasn't the first time things were happening to her that she would never have imagined, ever. Including singing a duet with Lauren Jauregui, her girl crush of what seemed a thousand years.

_

_So we have to sing a duet too?" Camila asked._

_"Yup." Lauren popped the 'p.' "Any ideas? This is your finals night."_

_The singer thought that over a little bit._

_"I might have a song in mind. Give it a listen?" Lauren nodded._

_Camila opened up her browser and typed a song into the search bar. The singer clicked on the video of the song and turned up the volume on her computer._

_Giving the entire track a listen, Lauren wasn't entirely sold on the song. "You sure about this one Camz?"_

_The singer nodded her head. "I've got a good feeling about this one Laur. You want to at least sing it together and see how it sounds? If it sounds like crap we can try a different one."_

_Lauren figured that it would be a good compromise. If anything, it would give her a chance to sing a bit with Camila._

_

After the two had gone over the song a couple of times, Lauren had been convinced. It wasn't something that Lauren would normally be caught dead singing, but it was important to Camila. And she had to admit, it wasn't a bad track. Just not her typical style.

The couple had taken some time that week to arrange an acoustic version of the song, Camila obviously on the piano and Lauren on the guitar.

The song had actually gone really well and both girls were excited about the outcome. Lauren knew Camila was good with arranging music, but after actually going through the entire process, intimately with her, Lauren really appreciated the singer's talent.

Camila had this impeccable attention to detail that was often beyond Lauren. The singer noticed things within the arrangement that Lauren would never have thought of on her own. As for Camila's solo piece, Lauren wasn't sure about the song, but trusted Camila to be able to pull it off. If anyone could, it would be her.

_

_"Are you sure about this one Camz? Ellie's voice is kind of hard to replicate." Lauren asked, a little concerned about Camila's song choice._

_"But the point of a cover isn't to replicate it though. It's to put your own spin on an already existing, sometimes popular song. I think I can do this. But I'll change it if you really want me do. " She mentioned._

_Lauren shook her head._

_"No, this is your show. It's your night. If that's what you want, I'm not going to stop you. I just hope you know what you're doing." Lauren voiced her opinion, knowing that she shouldn't get in the way of what Camila wanted to do._

_The singer smiled, snuggling up to Lauren._

_"Trust me Laur."_

_Lauren couldn't do anything but nod. She trusted Camila with everything._

_

And now, sitting on the day of finals, all the hard work she and Lauren had put into to this was going to be put to the test. She had rehearsed with Lauren briefly earlier that day, and they had nailed their duet. But of course, that was only a small indicator of how they would do that night. Nothing ever was the same as you practice it.

If Camila was honest, she felt the most anticipation and nervousness with her original. She had no idea how that was going to go over. With Lauren's influence on the song, it sounded a little different than if she had arranged it herself. But just like Lauren trusted her, she trusted her girlfriend. Lauren is a master producer, if anyone knew the business, it would be her. And it wasn't that she felt bad about the song at all, it was just different. But of course, Camila had been doing a lot of different things with her music over the course of the show. This was just another one of those things.

Taking a minute to catch her breath, Camila took a short break from rehearsing and getting ready for that night. And it was also during that time where Ally managed to find some time to break away from her own thing.

"How are you holding up Mila?" She asked her friend. 

"I'm.. surprisingly more calm than I thought I would be, you?

 Ally laughed. "Terrified."

"How come? You're a great performer." Ally shrugged.

"I guess, it's just finally hitting me. We've made it as far as we can go here. Tonight is the last night of performing here. Kind of the last hurrah to show the world what they're capable of, at least here." Camila nodded. She could see where Ally was coming from.

"Yeah, that it true. But tonight is going to open up so many doors. Whoever wins is going to walk away with a recording contract. That's huge. Not to mention the rest of us. Even if we don't win, this was big for our names. Like you said, I don't think we're going to have problems booking gigs for a while." Ally smiled.

"You're right. It's just. big." Camila laughed. 

"Yeah. Well, I probably should get back." She put a hand on the older woman's arm. "Hey, good luck   
tonight. Really."

"You too Mila." 

_

All four finalists stood together backstage, facing their competition. Out of all of her fellow artists, Camila felt most threatened by Ally, of all people. She knew the brunette was good, and everyone knew that. But she also knew that Ally was her friend and if she was going to lose to anyone, she would want it to be her. 

Louis, well. Camila had lost to him once, she wasn't going to let it happen again. She hadn't really kept track of his skill-set and performance value, but he wasn't a singer to be underestimated. He was good back then,and she was certain that, just like everyone else, he had gotten exponentially better.

And then there was another artist from Blake's team, Hailee Steinfeld. Camila didn't know too much about her. Although she did know the girl was very friendly and had a pretty good voice. She had to if she had gotten to final four after all.

"Well, this is it ladies." Louis said to the other three girls.

"It's been a crazy ride hasn't it? I mean, who would have imagined being in the final four when we all started?" Ally said, Camila nodding in agreement. 

"Not me, that's for sure." Hailee said.

Before anyone else had a chance to say anything, a stage guy stuck his head through the door. 

"Hey people, it's time." He said. All four singers looked in his direction, acknowledging that they had heard him calling for them. Ally clapped her hands together, taking a deep breath.

"Well, this is it."


	24. The Night Of Finals

The night of finals. The night that everyone on the show had been waiting for and preparing for. As the four artists took their places on stage to wait for the show to begin, Camila started nervously chewing her bottom lip. Ally, who happened to be standing next to her, took notice before poking the singer in the ribs, hard.

"Ouch, what was that for?" Camila hissed.

Ally rolled her eyes. "You were going to make your lip bleed if you continued that. Stop it. You're making me nervous."

Camila looked up at her friend sheepishly. "Sorry."

Ally shrugged. "I get it, nerves. But seriously, you'll be fine." 

Before Camila had the chance to respond, they all got word that it was premier time.

"Welcome to The Voice! Tonight, you will get to decide who is going home with a recording deal and walk away as the voice of season nine!" The crowd clapped and cheered.

Cutting to more pre-recorded clips that the artists and coaches had recorded, Camila stood and watched as her face came up. 

"It's been a real long ride. But totally worth it. I'm going to go out there tonight and sing like my life   
depended on it."

The clips cut around to different artists before ending, focusing the camera back to Carson. 

The rest of the artists had departed the stage, save Hailee Steinfeld who was singing first that night.

"First up, the youngest of our four artists. She's been the underdog all season long, but she's made it this far and she's going to show you what she's got! Singing Story of My Life, Hailee Steinfeld!" 

The applause and screaming for the young woman could be heard throughout the studio. As Camila, Ally and Louis stood backstage, they watched her perform. She was good, especially for someone so young. All three of them were in their early to mid twenties, but Hailee was only eighteen. And to have a voice that was so well tuned and developed was certainly something.

She wasn't to be underestimated for sure.

_

As Hailee finished her performance, Camila was up next. She'd be singing her duet with Lauren first, later on followed by her solo, then her original.

As they cut to commercial to give the two artists time to get their instruments situated, Camila waited up on stage while they moved a piano to the stage. Lauren, guitar in hand, took her place behind the microphone stand set up next to Camila. "You ready for this Camz?"

The singer took a deep breath, but nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be."

Lauren shot Camila a sympathetic look. "Don't worry. You'll be fine."

Camila halfheartedly shrugged. "I know. I just.. Never dreamed I'd be performing with you. It's like one of the top things to do on my bucket list."

Lauren laughed. "Well, I'm glad I'm able to help you complete that."

Camila smiled. "So am I." 

And then commercial break was over. The cameras focused back on Carson. "Welcome   
back everyone! Performing now, her duet with coach, Lauren Jauregui; Camila Cabello!"

The lights lit up the stage. Camila began playing the piano as Lauren followed up by strumming her guitar.

Note: Lauren = Italicized, Camila= Bold, Both= Bold and Italicized

**We're on top of the world  
We're on top of the world  
Now darling, so don't let go**

**_Can I call you mine?_  
So can I call you mine now, darling  
For a whole life time?  
My heart finally trusts my mind**

Starting off strong, Camila sang the well rehearsed lyrics. The two artists had chosen to alternate sections throughout the song, Camila obviously taking the lead. The singer had no idea what had drawn her to this song in particular. Perhaps it was the potential to turn it into a very strong acoustic version that she and Lauren could do. Camila really loved the sound of Lauren playing guitar. If she was honest, she found it really sexy to watch too.

**And I know somehow it's right**

**_And, oh, we got time, yeah_  
So darling, just say you'll stay right by my side  
And, oh, we got love, yeah  
So darling, just swear you'll stand right by my side  **

As Lauren strummed the chords, she patiently waited for her part. The two would be harmonizing towards the whole song.  ** _  
_**

**_We're on top of the world_  
We're on top of the world  
Now darling, so don't let go  
I've got something to say  
You're perfect in every way  
I'm gonna shout it out  
I wanna tell you now  
'Cause I know somehow it's right**

Camila continued to hit her piano chords as they sang the second verse. The alto belt of the producer was contrast to Camila's slightly higher register, but they still managed to compliment each other very well. As the two sang, the audience was entranced by the performance. The two women were obviously very talented and it showed. There wasn't a peep from anyone in the room. They were all too busy listening to the music. 

**_And, oh, we got time, yeah_  
So darling, just say you'll stay right by my side  
And, oh, we got love, yeah  
Darling, just swear you'll stand right by my side  **

As Camila played, she also kept her eyes trained on Lauren. The producer's foot was tapping and her body bouncing to the beat of the song. Her head was even slightly bobbing as her eyes occasionally fluttered shut. Camila couldn't help but find it cute. Lauren got so into the music. One of the many things that Camila loved about her girlfriend. 

**_Be my forever_  
Be my forever  
Be my forever  
Be my forever  
Be my forever  
Be my forever  **

Camila came in on the first line, Lauren on the second and harmonizing on the third. The transition was done flawlessly. The two smiled as they hit the bridge. It had probably been one of the hardest parts to get right during rehearsal. Picking up the cues and hints as to when to come in wasn't as easy as it looked. And it also set the speed for their harmonization on the last chorus.

_You're my bright blue sky_

**You're the sun in my eyes**

**_Oh baby, you're my life_  
You're the reason why  
  
We're on top of the world  
We're on top of the world  
Now darling, so don't let go  
1, 2, 3, 4  
And, oh, we got time, yeah  
We got love  
So darling, just swear you'll stay right by my side  
Oh and we got love  
Yeah  
So darling, just swear you'll stay right by my side**

**Will you love me forever?**

_I'll love you forever_

**Be my forever**   
**Be my forever**   
**Be my forever**   
**Be my forever**

As the two finished the song, they were greeted by loud cheers and screams from the audience. Many people standing up from their seats to show their appreciation of the song. Lauren allowed a small smile to grace her features as Camila stood from the piano bench to wave at the audience, a wide grin on her face. Before heading back to her chair, Lauren gave Camila a subtle thumbs up. A job well done. Camila's solo performance was up next, but in between then, Louis would be singing his solo and Ally would be doing her original as well. She wished Louis good luck as she passed him backstage. 

"Thanks Camila. Good stuff out there so far." He returned before heading out. Camila wasn't all that interested in watching the performances, but as Carson announced the artist, she knew she'd at least be listening to him. The male had chosen to sing Magic, by BoB. A pretty upbeat track to follow up the slight subdued track Lauren and Camila had just done. Probably a good decision. It was dreary to listen to two soft songs in a row.

Ally sought out the singer before she went on. "Wish me luck?" She said, approaching her friend. 

"Of course! Best of luck Ally. I can't wait to hear your original." Ally bit her lip.

"I hope it's good. Sometimes I feel like things are great, but they aren't actually any good." Ally trailed off. 

"Hey! I'm sure it's amazing! You're Ally Brooke Hernandez. You can do anything." The two laughed.

"Thanks Mila. For everything." Camila nodded.

"What are friends for if they're not super supportive?"

"I'll give you that one." Before Camila had the chance to reply, Ally was called to the wings. Giving her friend a nervous look, she turned and walked off. Camila made to follow her, so she could have a better view of her friend. She wasn't able to see much, but she did catch a few lyrics to Ally's song, First Love. 

**So little to say but so much time,  
Despite my empty mouth the words are in my mind.  
Please wear the face, the one where you smile,  
Because you lighten up my heart when I start to cry.  **

The atmosphere of a heartbreak song was a little surprising to Camila. Ally never pegged her as the kind of person that regretted anything in relation to her love life. But she guessed that everyone had the one relationship that went sour. Although, she knew that her and Lauren wouldn't. She knew that even if the two broke up somewhere down the line, it would never end in anger or regret. Or at least, she hoped it wouldn't.

Camila was up after Ally, so as the brunette came to the end of her song, Camila was ushered backstage to wait to go on. As the older woman walked off stage, Camila managed to briefly catch her by the arm, giving her approval of the song. 

"Next up, singing Anything Could Happen by Ellie Goulding, Camila Cabello everybody!"

The crowd cheered for the singer as she grabbed her microphone and walked out on stage. This was going to be her real, flash and wow factor song. The lights and sparks had been set up to go off on intervals during her performance, many of them on the chorus. 

Lauren had initially been unsure about the song, but trusted that Camila would figure it out. And from what Lauren had heard in rehearsals, she did it quite well. It wasn't one hundred percent on point, but it was good none the less.

**Stripped to the waist  
We fall into the river  
Cover your eyes  
So you don't know the secret  
I've been trying to hide  
We held our breath  
To see our names are written  
On the wreck of '86  
That was the year  
I knew the panic was over**

Ellie's voice was certainly one that was not one to be replicated easily. The sort of willowy sound was hard to hit for anyone. So, Camila didn't try. Instead, she took the beat and the lyrics and fit them to her own voice.

**Yes since we found out  
Since we found out  
That anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could  **

As Camila entered the chorus, the lights went off around her, bright and flashing as they were. A few sparks ticked and sprayed. Camila danced along with the song, bringing the energy necessary to pull this off.

**After the war we said we'd fight together  
I guess we thought that's just what humans do  
Letting darkness grow  
As if we need it's palette and we need it's colour  
But now I've seen it through  
And now I know the truth  
  
That anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could  **

The meat of the chorus was really where Camila let her performance skills speak for themselves. It was also the only part of the song where she could really let it go.

  **Baby, I'll give you everything you need  
I'll give you everything you need, oh  
I'll give you everything you need  
But I don't think I need you  
  
Stripped to the waist  
We fall into the river  
Cover your eyes  
So you don't know the secret  
I've been trying to hide  
We held our breath  
To see our names are written  
On the wreck of '86  
That was the year  
I knew the panic was over  
  
Yes since we found out  
Since we found out  
That anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could happen  
Anything could  **

The audience whistled, some waving their arms in the air as she sang. As she sang, Camila knew that this wasn't her strongest performance, but she'd have to make the most of it. But she figured, that you win some, you lose some. But she still didn't regret her choice.

**I know it's gonna be  
I know it's gonna be  
I know it's gonna be  
I know it's gonna be  
I know it's gonna be  
I know it's gonna be  
I know it's gonna be  
I know it's gonna be  
Oh, whoa  
  
But I don't think I need you  
But I don't think I need you  
But I don't think I need you  **

As she finished the song, the coaches clapped in their seats. They had a few comments, but her voice not really suited for the song. Which she agreed with. Then she scampered backstage to wait it out until it was her turn to go on for her original.

This was the most nerve wracking part for Camila and consequently she didn't pay much attention   
to who was singing what. She thought she caught snippets of songs like Earned It by The Weeknd and Set Fire to The Rain by Adele. Although she couldn't really place who did what. Although, a single song did catch her attention.

Hailee's original. 

**I got all I need when I got you and I  
I look around me, and see a sweet life   
I'm stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight   
You're getting me, getting me, through the night   
Kickstart my heart when you shine it in my eyes   
Can't lie, it's a sweet life   
Stuck in the dark but you're my flashlight   
You're getting me, getting me, through the night**

Camila didn't know if it was the melody or the lyrics that she liked more. As she listened, she could hear the soul in Hailee's voice and felt the emotions that must have gone into the song. Camila had to admit, the young artist could really write.

And then it came Camila's turn to bat. She had obviously forgone the piano for this since she and Lauren had added in so much on the soundboard. She had also forgone the microphone stand, feeling that this song required a little bit more moving around than the stand gave her. 

As she stood on stage, the fist pumping beat came over the room. She smiled as she could detect some people in the audience doing just that, pumping their fists in the air to the beat.

**Aren't you somethin' to admire?  
'Cause your shine is somethin' like a mirror  
And I can't help but notice  
You reflect in this heart of mine  
If you ever feel alone and  
The glare makes me hard to find  
Just know that I'm always parallel on the other side**

Camila had written this song a few months ago when she was still waiting for Lauren to get in a relationship together. She just needed to get her feelings out on paper. But she didn't get too far into the song until the day Lauren confronted her about the paparazzi picture.

_

_Camila is still seated at the couch that she fell into when she broke down because of Lauren leaving her without anymore explanations. She's staring blankly into a wall, tears still falling freely from her eyes._

**'Cause with your hand in my hand and a pocket full of soul  
I can tell you there's no place we couldn't go** _  
_

_She wiped her tears and decided to just work on her song that she'll perform. She had ideas but none of them felt right. As she's trying to figure out what song she'll perform, her mind wandered over again to Lauren. Knowing she won't make any progress for the day on what she'll perform she booted on her laptop._ **  
**

**Just put your hand on the glass  
I'll be tryin' to pull you through  
You just gotta be strong  **

_As she went through her laptop, she located a particular file that she hoped would try to get her mind release all the unsaid thoughts that she wanted to say to Lauren._

**'Cause I don't wanna lose you now  
I'm lookin' right at the other half of me  
The vacancy that sat in my heart  
Is a space that now you hold  
Show me how to fight for now  
And I'll tell you, baby, it was easy  
Comin' back here to you once I figured it out  
You were right here all along**

_After a few hours she finished what she had written. Then she got an idea on how to assure Lauren that she's the only person for her. But she needed a coach to help clear the song for, it could be any of the three but she decided that she better talk to Harry._

_

**It's like you're my mirror  
My mirror staring back at me  
I couldn't get any bigger  
With anyone else beside of me  
And now it's clear as this promise  
That we're making two reflections into one  
'Cause it's like you're my mirror  
My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me  **

Camila really felt the emotion with this song, so as she sang, she really belt out all the high and hard notes. The chorus had represented everything that she felt at that time.

**Yesterday is history  
Tomorrow's a mystery  
I can see you lookin' back at me  
Keep your eyes on me  
Baby, keep your eyes on me  
  
'Cause I don't wanna lose you now  
I'm lookin' right at the other half of me  
The vacancy that sat in my heart  
Is a space that now you hold  
Show me how to fight for now (please show me, baby)  
I'll tell you, baby, it was easy  
Comin' back into you once I figured it out  
You were right here all along**

**It's like you're my mirror  
My mirror staring back at me  
I couldn't get any bigger  
With anyone else beside of me  
And now it's clear as this promise  
That we're making two reflections into one  
'Cause it's like you're my mirror  
My mirror staring back at me, staring back at me**

**oh oh oh oh oh oh**

**You are, you are the love of my life**

Camila looked directly at Lauren as she sang the next lines. The producers reaction at first is surprise when she realized what her look conveys then turned into joy. Lauren tried very hard not to smile like a love struck idiot. Harry smirked when he saw Lauren's reaction but refrained to say anything.

**Now you're the inspiration of this precious song  
And I just wanna see your face light up since you put me on  
So now I say goodbye to the old me, it's already gone  
And I can't wait wait wait wait wait to get you home  
Just to let you know, you are  
  
You are, you are the love of my life  **

**You are, you are the love of my life**

**You're my reflection, all I see is you  
My reflection, in everything I do  
You're my reflection and all I see is you  
My reflection, in everything I do  
  
You are, you are the love of my life  **

As Camila finished her song, the crowd went wild. Even the judges were on their feet. Camila felt a huge wave of relief come over her. She had hoped that her song wasn't complete crap, but this was more than she had hoped for. The singer looked down at Lauren, who was smiling brightly, clapping along with her fellow coaches. Camila shot Lauren a short, but wide grin before hightailing it off stage.

Where she was met by Hailee Steinfeld of all people.

"I really liked your song Camila." The singer blushed a little. She thought that the young artist's song had blown hers out of the water. And to have that very artist compliment her own work was flattering.

"Thanks, but it was nothing compared to yours." Hailee just waved her off.

"That's not true, but thank you. What's the title of yours?"

Camila raised an eyebrow. "I'll tell you mine if you'll tell me yours."

Hailee laughed. "Sure, mine's Flashlight. Simple enough, right?" 

Camila nodded. "Well, mine's Mirrors." Hailee nodded.

"Interesting. I like it." The brunette beamed. "It's not everyday that you hear songs like that. Lucky audience tonight I guess." Camila chuckled.

"I suppose they are. Well, best of luck tonight. You still have your solo to go, right?" Hailee   
nodded.

"Yep. It's kind of crazy, isn't it? We're almost at the end. Like, it's all over tomorrow. At least, for   
three of us."

Camila had the agree with the the other artist. It was an odd feeling. Now that Camila's performances were all finished, all she had to do was wait. She and Lauren had planned to spend some time together that night at Camila's apartment, if they managed to avoid the paparazzi all night. Which Camila dearly hoped they'd be able to. She hadn't really had much quality time with her girlfriend for the last couple of weeks. It would also be nice to just relax a little bit before the biggest night of her life this far. 

"For sure. Well, I won't keep you. Good luck tonight." Hailee gave Camila an appreciative look.

"Thanks Camila, I'm probably going to need it."

 


	25. The Winner Of Season 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Slight smut coming through

Thankfully, after the final performances, Camila and Lauren had managed to give the paparazzi the slip and headed back to Lauren's apartment. The couple collapsed on the couch in Lauren's bedroom together, Camila snuggling up to the producer, laying her head on the shorter woman's shoulder. Lauren wrapped an arm around Camila's shoulder, pulling her closer, kissing the top of her head.

"How're you doing Camz?" She asked. It had been a big night for everyone. Camila sat in silence for a couple minutes before responding.

"It almost feels like a dream, you know? It's all over tomorrow. I mean, we have a full day, preparing for the final show, but still. The hard stuff is over with. It's now just waiting for the results. This has been my life for months. I almost don't know what to do with myself when we wrap." Lauren squeezed Camila's shoulder gently.

"You're going to go out there, score a big time recording deal and become the next top artist is what you're going to do with yourself." Lauren said in a matter of fact tone of voice. Camila chuckled.

"That's a distinct possibility. But we don't know that for sure." The producer shook her head.

"I do. I know that even if you don't win, you'll have half the producers in LA eating out of the palm of your hand." This time Camila let out a real laugh.

"Too bad I only have my eyes on one producer." Lauren gave Camila an innocent look.

"And what producer would that be?" Camila rolled her eyes, knowing her girlfriend was being sarcastic when she said that.

"I don't know. Normani seemed like she was interested in my talent." The singer teased. Lauren's eyes shot to meet Camila's gleaming ones.

The producer just huffed. "Like hell I'm going to let Normani steal my girlfriend and her talent from me." Camila giggled at Lauren's possessiveness a little bit before leaning up to kiss her on the cheek.

"Don't worry Laur. I'm all yours. You know that."

Lauren nodded. "Of course I do. But what I said is true though. I'd fight Normani tooth and nail if I had to." Camila reached out to intertwine her fingers with Lauren's.

"I know you would. But luckily for you, you won't have to." The producer ran her thumb over the back of Camila's hand.

"Good." The couple sat in silence for a while, simply staring out into the night sky from Lauren's penthouse apartment. The large windows plastered around them instead of walls afforded them a beautiful view of the city. Camila even thought that it might even be a better view than from Lauren's office. The producer's apartment felt more.. homey. The office was for work, but Lauren's apartment was her living space, where Camila really got a glimpse into the person that was Lauren Jauregui.

Obviously there was a massive amount of music equipment scattered throughout the place. Lauren had all sorts of personal mixing boards, different types of guitars hung up on the wall, and one massive computer setup; dual monitors, pop filter microphone, everything. It screamed Lauren. The one thing that Camila noticed was missing, was pictures. Well, there were a number of paintings along what few actual walls there were.

"Hey Laur, can I ask you a sort of personal question?" The woman in question looked down at the singer still cuddled into her side and nodded.

"Of course. What's up?" Ever since their little disagreement a couple weeks ago, Lauren had been trying to be more open and forthcoming with the singer. So, in that respect, she even welcomed personal questions. Camila was trying to get to know her, understand her. Lauren could respect that.

"Why don't you have any photographs of yourself or family hung up?" Lauren glanced around her apartment, knowing that Camila was right. The answer however, was not that easy.

"Honestly? My childhood isn't something I'm overly eager to remember. It wasn't all sunshine and daisies. I mean, I lived comfortably enough with my mom. But when my parents divorced, took it pretty hard. It was easier to throw myself into music, rather than face my now screwed up family."

Camila looked sympathetically at her girlfriend. "But surely there were some good times too?"

Lauren nodded. "Of course there were. I was far from abused as a kid. My own trust and commitment issues came from myself really. No one really, actively tried to break that. It was just a byproduct of the shitty hand life gave me. But those few good moments hardly seemed worth remembering."

Camila reached up with her free hand to stroke Lauren's cheek softly. The producer closed her eyes, leaning into Camila's touch.

"Well, let me help you make new memories. Better ones this time. Ones that are worth remembering."

Lauren smiled, eyes still shut. "I'd like that, a lot." She murmured. Lauren felt Camila shift her position next to her and before she knew it, she felt the singer's soft lips pressed up against hers. That feeling of contentment washed over her as Lauren kissed her girlfriend back, their hands still joined together.

Camila stretched herself up to her full sitting height, so she was now leaning down to meet Lauren's lips. Almost reflexively, she bounced up from her seat on the couch, to straddling Lauren's lap. The producer let out a slight gasp from the sudden contact and movement, but obviously didn't   
complain. Camila brought both her hands up to Lauren's face, pulling her girlfriend closer to her.

Lauren's hands rested on Camila's hips as the two fought each other for control. As the two battled, Camila's hands sneakily went to the collar of Lauren's flannel, unbuttoning the shirt slowly, revealing the tank top that lie beneath. Lauren lifted her back up off the couch to shrug the shirt off of her shoulders before settling back into her seat.

Meanwhile Lauren's hands ran themselves up and down the singer's sides, slipping under the baggy shirt she was wearing. Lauren felt Camila's skin erupt in goosebumps that the soft contact.

The brunette smirked to herself, knowing the effect she had on Camila. The woman in question pulled back an inch.

"Stop smiling like that. I know you feel the same way I do." She murmured before crashing her lips back into Lauren's. And of course, the producer couldn't deny the statement. Her body responded in exactly the same way to Camila's touch. Speaking of which, she felt Camila's hand run along the bottom of her tank top, starting to pull the fabric over her head.

The couple had never gone this far before, but in the heat of the moment and the gravity of the night, neither of them wanted to stop. Lauren broke the kiss, allowing Camila to pull the top over her head, leaving the brunette in her bra and jeans. Camila's hands took advantage of the new position, taking time to run her fingers along Lauren's abs, which were pretty well defined from working out.

Lauren pulled back again, needing air. "Camz.." She gasped out. "We..." Camila shushed her girlfriend.

"Let me help you make new memories Laur. We've waited long enough, please.." Lauren's eyes darkened as Camila pulled the shirt over the head, now leaving herself clothed only in her bra and a pair of track shorts.

'Screw the rules.' Lauren thought to herself before grabbing Camila by the waist, pulling her closer with surprising strength. The singer yelped slightly before meeting Lauren's lips again.

In another display of unexpected strength, Lauren wrapped her hands around Camila's thighs, lifting her up off the couch, and nearly running her over to the producer's mattress. The singer wrapped her arms around Lauren's neck as the producer placed her in the middle of her bed, topping the singer.

_**"Give me something worth remembering."** _

_

The sound of an alarm clock woke Camila the next morning. Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she sat up, taking in her surroundings. Shaking her head a little bit, she found herself not lying in her own bed, rather someone else's. And the memories came rushing back. Camila sat up, looking over to her side, seeing Lauren curled up, covers pulled up over her head. Camila giggled a little before pulling them back, revealing a very naked Lauren Jauregui trying to go back to sleep. The producer turned to look up at Camila, meeting her bright brown eyes. A smile immediately took over Lauren's face.

"Morning Camz." The singer returned the grin, before leaning down to kiss her girlfriend.

"Good morning. You know, we have a busy day today. We probably should get up and at 'em." Lauren groaned, but knew that Camila was right. Grabbing a sheet to cover her body, she sat up next to Camila.

"Fine." She grumbled. She got up out of the bed, grabbing the nearest shirt, pulling it over her head.

"If you want to borrow something of mine, you're welcome to my closet if you can find something that fits. I'll go make coffee if you want to shower or something. Bathroom is through that door." Lauren pointed at a wooden door to their left. Lauren got up and made her way downstairs before coming back again and giving Camila a kiss in the cheek. Camila nodded before getting up and headed for a quick shower.

Lauren wandered over to her kitchen to make a couple cups of coffee. As she did, her mind wandered over to the previous night. She didn't regret a thing of course, but she only hoped that Camila didn't either. Lost in her thoughts of their night together, she didn't hear Camila exit the bathroom, towel wrapped around her body.

She jumped a little bit when Camila approached her from behind, wrapping her arms around the Lauren's waist, kissing her neck. When the shock wore off, Lauren leaned back into Camila's arms.

"You seemed deep in thought." Lauren swallowed, very aware of how close the singer was to her, in nothing but a towel.

"I might have been thinking around last night." Camila smirked to herself.

"Good, no second thoughts?" Lauren shook her head.

"Of course not. You?"

"No. Everything was perfect." Camila rest her chin on Lauren's shoulder.

"Camz, not that I don't enjoy this, but shouldn't you get dressed, we do have a show to prepare for tonight."

The singer groaned, but released her girlfriend before bee lining for the closet to find something of Lauren's that fit her. She grabbed a different pair of track shorts along with one of Lauren's hoodies. She figured they could stop by her apartment so she could grab some of her own clothes. It probably wouldn't do to show up on set wearing Lauren's.

By another stroke of luck, the couple had eluded reporters and made it successfully to Camila's apartment and then to the set without detection. Which was a lucky break for them. Lauren bid Camila goodbye, since she had a performance that night that she and Harry needed to do some last minute practicing on. Camila was going to be performing a couple of times that night for their grand finale. Notably they had booked Ed Sheeran to sing Tenerife Sea with her. They had met and rehearsed the previous week, along with all the other preparations that Camila had been doing.

At some point during the day, Camila had seen and spoken to all the other artists, even seeing a few on set that had been eliminated earlier in the season who were back to do one last performance. She was extremely grateful and spent a little bit of time catching up before she had to scamper off.

_

"You have a glow about you Lauren. Want to tell me what's up, or should I guess?" Harry asked the producer. But by the blush that graced Lauren's cheeks, the guy had a pretty good idea of what went on, involving the singer. 

"Nevermind, I think I have it figured out." Lauren looked at the other singer, sheepishly.

"I... yeah." She didn't really know what to say. What does one say when their friend basically said 'you had sex last night didn't you?' Nothing much. She wasn't going to deny it.

"Does she make you happy?" Harry abruptly asked.

Like Lauren had to think about that question. "More than anything. Last night was literally one of the best nights of my life."

Harry curtly nodded. "I hope it works out Laur. Really. She's a sweet girl." Lauren nodded, knowing that it was nothing but the truth. Harry tossed Lauren a microphone.

"You ready to go?" Lauren nodded.

"Let's kill it out there then."

_

"Welcome to The Voice! Tonight is our big finale, where we will find out who is winner of Season Nine! Thanks fortuning in. I'm Carson Daly and say hello to our coaches; Adam Levine, Harry Styles, Lauren Jauregui and Blake Shelton. We've got a jam packed show tonight, with performances from all our finalists along with artists like Ellie Goulding, Normani Hamilton, Ed Sheeran and Calvin Harris. But first, our finalists!" The crowd cheered.

"Ally Brooke Hernandez!" 

Ally went on stage from her hiding place in the audience, waving at the people watching that night. 

"Louis Tomlinson!" The male also took his place on stage after pulling Ally into a hug.

"Camila Cabello!" The exuberant singer got up on stage, standing in between Ally and Louis, both of the other artists had an arm wrapped around Camila's shoulders. 

"And Hailee Steinfeld!" The youngest artist of three got up there last, as Ally pulled her in to her other side so the four were huddled in a group in the middle of the stage.

"Tonight, we'll find out which one of these artists will walk away with a recording contract and the title of The Voice of America. But first, Ellie Goulding singing Love Me Like You Do!"

_ 

The rest of the show went by like any other show, except it felt so much more laid back to Camila and her fellow artists. There was no judging these performances, no competing against each other, it was simply singing to sing. Camila had been joined on stage by some of her former teammates such as Zayn and others, for a final performance of Counting Stars.

Harry and Lauren had even performed a set together. Which is pretty much a big thing considering their former rivalry. As Camila watched, she truly had to appreciate how well Harry and Lauren performed together when they weren't fighting.

**I see what you're wearing, there's nothing beneath it  
Forgive me for staring, forgive me for breathing  
We might not know why, we might not know how  
But baby, tonight, we're beautiful now**

We're beautiful now

**We're beautiful now**

Lauren behind the mixing board provided a beat for Harry to sing along to.

**We might not know why, we might not know how  
But baby, tonight, we're beautiful now  
We'll light up the sky, we'll open the clouds  
Cause baby, tonight, we're beautiful now, we're beautiful   
**

**We're beautiful**

And Lauren's part came on, she controlled the crowd with the beat she's providing. The entire arrangement was approximately three and a half minutes, but the two coaches managed to keep everyone's attention for the full amount of time. It wasn't everyday that you saw two former rivals perform a great song. 

_

The audience, along with all the contestants and the remaining coaches went wild. Harry and Lauren smiled at each other before bowing. They waved at the audience before Lauren and Harry went back to their chairs. And then it was the moment everyone had been waiting for.

"It's time, to reveal the winner of The Voice!" Carson announced as the four artists stood on stage. The stage dimmed, only the blue backlights providing the lighting.

"Before we reveal the winner, I want to ask you all a question. Camila, you've had a number of close calls with elimination this season, how does it feel to finally be standing here?" Camila gulped. 

"It's very humbling actually. Knowing that there are artists on this show that could easily beat me only made me work harder. Also admittedly, knowing I'd be going up against Louis again gave me some good motivation." Everyone laughed, including the brunette artist himself. 

"Ally, you and Camila seem to have stuck a very close friendship, has that put any strain on the   
competition?" Ally looked at Camila then back at Carson.

"I'd like to think no. It's both of our dreams to walk away from this a winner, but ultimately only one of us will. We knew what's coming in and becoming friends with this girl right here and also everyone else, I'm walking away a winner anyways."

A number of people in the crowd let out a sigh of 'awe.' Camila looked up to Ally reassuringly, letting her know that she felt the same. 

"Louis, you're the only guy up here tonight, did that motivate you?" Louis shook his head.

"At the end of the day we're all artists Carson. None of us are like the others, all three of the girls are distinctly different. I might have a lower voice and different body parts, but I don't think that was really the focus of my training."

"And Hailee, you've been the underdog all season. And who doesn't love the underdog. How does it feel to be up here with these artists?" He asked.

Hailee bit her lip. "It's very surreal. I always hoped that I'd make it here, but you're right. It's been an uphill battle. To finally stand up here with these guys feels amazing." 

"Well you heard it folks. And now, it's time."

Carson paused. Camila swore that was one thing she wasn't going to miss. "In fourth place..." 

Camila grit her teeth.

"We have.."

Crossed her fingers.

"Louis Tomlinson!"

Camila let out a sigh of relief, but still felt a little bad for her fellow artist, who had a little bit of a dejected look on his face as he stepped away from the girls. 

Harry got up to give his team member a hug before releasing him, clapping along with everyone else.

"And in third place..." All three girls were crowded together, Camila in the middle with arms wrapped around her shoulders.

"We have.." 

Camila felt someone grip her shoulder tighter, but couldn't really figure out who it was.

"Hailee Steinfeld!" The young brunette nodded, also sad she didn't win, but proud that she had made it into the top three. That in and of itself was a feat. She stepped away from Ally and Camila, clapping as well. 

"And now, Ally, Camila; one of you will be walking away as winner of The Voice."

Ally pulled the singer in closer in anticipation. "And the winner of Season Nine..."

The last few pauses of the season.

"Is..." 

"Ally Brooke Hernandez!"

Ally squealed a little bit. Camila deflated a little bit, but at the same time, she was extremely excited and happy for her friend. She knew that if she had to lose to anyone, she wanted it to be Ally. The singer nearly tackled her friend in for a hug, which Ally returned, almost lifting her off the ground. 

As Carson closed the show and the cameras zoomed out, Ally let go of Camila.

"Congratulations Ally, you really deserve this you know." Ally sadly smiled. 

"I.. I guess." She shrugged. And the singer slapped her on the shoulder.

"Stop being so nonchalant about this! I did not just lose to you for you to brush it off." Ally had the decency to look a little sheepish. 

"Sorry, I just didn't want to rub it in, you know?" Camila's facial features softened.

"It's okay. I made second place, that's got to count for something right?" Ally nodded. 

"Yeah, for sure. Anyways, I think there's a certain producer that wants to talk to you. I'll see you later?"   
Camila nodded before turning to see Lauren waiting for her to be done talking. The producer beckoned her over.

"You know, I think it might be the best day of your life today." Camila furrowed her brow. 

"Why do you say that?" Lauren had that mischievous look in her eye.

"Well.. Let's just say that you won, hmm? I know for a fact you'd be signed into an exclusive contract with Epic. And then you wouldn't get to work with other producers, say Jauregui Records until that one expired." Lauren said with a smug smile.

Camila's eyebrows shot up. 

"You... Are you saying what I think you are?"

Lauren nodded. "It was really hard for me to not tell you this morning. Is it bad that I was hoping you didn't win? It is. I know. But yeah, we want to offer you a full record contract, and of course, I'd be producing."

Camila almost screamed before throwing herself into Lauren's outstretched arms, not caring who saw. It took a lot to not kiss the producer senseless, but after all, they weren't fully released from their contracts with NBC yet. Not until everything was settled.

But Lauren was right, this was the best day of Camila's life. Even though she had come in second, she had gained everything she came for and more. She got a couple of great friends, an amazing girlfriend, along with a record deal. She was a winner in her eyes. And that's all that really mattered.


	26. Epilogue #1: A Few Months Later

"Yes Camila! Good." Lauren gave her girlfriend a thumbs up from behind the soundboard. Camila nodded, smiling back at the producer sitting behind the glass.

"Want to take a break? You've been in there for an hour or two."

"Yes please Laur." Camila said into the microphone before taking the headphones off her head, setting them back in the stand. She exited the recording booth in Lauren's studio to join her girlfriend on the couch. Placing a kiss on the producer's forehead, Camila plopped down onto the couch.

"So, how does it feel? Finally releasing songs that you've written yourself." Camila thought for a second.

"Amazing. Really. I can't wait until the release date." Lauren laughed.

"I remember a time a few months ago when you didn't want to sing your originals in front of other people, never mind looking forward to the day the entire country will get to own a copy of some of them." Camila shrugged, she had changed a lot over the past few months. After her loss on The Voice, Camila had instead gone on to work with Lauren's label and release her own tracks. Thanks to her popularity on the show, there had been a hype and demand for her to release her own music. Which she was eternally grateful for.

_

_And Lauren had been such a great help over those past few months since the end of The Voice. More than just being her supportive girlfriend, she had been her hard-ass producer. Lauren, regardless of her relationship with the artist, was a professional producer. She didn't baby her singers. And Camila didn't expect anything different. They both understood that this was business, and while Camila and Lauren had gotten into a few arguments over her tracks, it wasn't anything serious. And they were easily able to forget it at the end of the day when they went home._

_Kind of like a sports team where all drama is left off the field. All disagreements about her music were left in the studio, and they both understood that. At the end of the day, Lauren only had Camila's best interests at heart when she wanted the Latina to make changes. Which, of course, Camila appreciated and usually took into consideration._

_Life had generally been good to Camila Cabello after the show. Beyond Lauren, she also had other benefits from the show. Ally being one of the biggest. After her win, Ally signed on with Epic and was also in the process of working on her first album. The two often spent time over lunch talking music, catching up and all that. Both girls were glad that their friendship had survived through the ordeal. Often coming up short to a friend would breed resentment. But not for these two._

_But whatever the reason, the two remained close. Admittedly, Ally had leaked a few details about her album to the Latina, and Camila couldn't have been more excited for the album drop. There wasn't a date picked yet because Ally still had a lot of work to do, but they were hoping it would be before the end of the year._

_While Camila on the other hand, her track drop date was in a couple of weeks. The label had done a good job of hyping the records and Camila had been bombarded with notifications from Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and all other forms of social media about the excitement behind it. It had been extremely gratifying for the newbie artist. This was really going to be her first play into the world of professional music and already people were excited for her. Some of the tabloids even speculated she might be the upcoming year's breakout artist. Which Camila doubted, but it was nice none the less._

_As for her relationship with Lauren? That was going better than ever. Less than a month after the end of the show, the two had been able to go public with it. And while they had received some pushback for various reasons, most people had been extremely supportive. Of course, Harry and Ally hadn't been surprised at all, but beyond them it had been a little bit of a shock. Although, as to be expected, not as much as some might think. Everyone knew the two were close, just not everyone realized how close they would end up being._

_Some critics believed that there Camila was just using Lauren, to progress as far as she did on The Voice and then to get a record deal with her. And of course, some didn't approve of the fact they were both women. But they didn't let that get to them. The opinions of those people didn't matter._

_But even then, most people thought they were a cute couple. They even had their own 'ship' name online; Camren. Both girls laughed over them having their own couple name. Lauren didn't have much outside experience with it, but Camila was quite the social media butterfly. She had run into them a fair few times. But she never imagined having her own._

_And even a few months after going public with their relationship, Camila still had to pinch herself sometimes. To make sure this was all real, that this was her life._

_

"Yeah Laur. But back then I was a lot more insecure about my music. I've gotten over that, mostly. thanks to you, Harry, and Ally." Lauren smiled, wrapping an arm around the Latina's shoulder.

"You know we'll always be there for you. We're your friends, and more than that I'm your girlfriend. It's kind of my job." Lauren said cheekily.

Camila laughed, lightly punching Lauren on the shoulder, who mocked pain. "My God Cabello, still haven't lost your abusive streak though, have you?" Camila shook her head.

"Only for you babe." 

Lauren snorted. "Oh how fortunate I must be." She said sarcastically.

"You love me, don't even deny it."

Lauren stuck her tongue out at her girlfriend. "You know I do."

That was something that had changed about Lauren over the last few months. Her insecurities had faded significantly. That's not to say they were gone of course. But over time, Lauren had come to really put all her trust in Camila. The Latina still remembered the first time Lauren actually said those words to her.

_

_A couple months after the end of The Voice left Ally and Camila very busy women. Both were now working on records for their labels; although Camila was only working on singles and Ally, an entire album. But they had managed to get together to catch up._ _Camila drag Lauren along, and Lauren, consequently drag Harry into their little group outing._ _And of course Ally brought along her soon to be husband, Troy. Now that was certainly an interesting turn of event. When Lauren found out that Ally is actually engaged when she got insecure over the paparazzi pic, she just pouted while everyone is laughing at her except Camila who sat on her lap and assured her that it was nothing._

_Camila and Harry, over time, had developed something of a friendship. They weren't besties by any standard, that was more so Lauren and Harry, but since Camila is the girlfriend, they did spend a good deal of time in each other's company. And the fact that Harry was at one point, Camila's coach helped matters._

_As for Lauren and Ally. They were very much in the same boat as Camila and Harry. They were friendly with each other, but not exactly best friends. They had gotten off to somewhat of a rocky start, but that was all in the past at this point, for everyone._

_The girls had decided to just go out to dinner and catch up. Camila still liked frequenting smaller, family owned places so she drug them all out to this really nice Italian place. She and Lauren had been there on a couple of dates. The staff was friendly and the food was great. They all spent the night eating and chatting about various things. With Lauren, Camila and Ally stuck in the studio most of the time, their lives weren't too interesting._

_As for Harry, he was still a full time performer and was due to go on tour soon. He'd be traveling all over the country for a few months. He didn't exactly like being away from his home in LA for so long, but he loved performing and meeting her fans._

_Most of the night was spent just being able to be together. But at the end of the night, Lauren and Camila wanted to spend a little bit of time to themselves. So Lauren had driven them down to the LA beach. It was dark before the two got there, but that suited them fine. Less of a probability of getting harassed by paparazzi or seen by fans._

_They walked along the ocean's edge, hand in hand. Lauren gazed at her girlfriend who was watching the waves as the couple walked. Lauren could easily admit that the Latina was one of the most gorgeous people she had ever met, and it was more than just looks, although that was a plus. Camila was kind, loving, trusting, and just had a beautiful soul. Lauren thought she was lucky that someone like her was interested in the producer._

_Lauren had been subconsciously gripping Camila's hand tighter. "Something wrong Laur?"_

_"Huh? Oh no. Just thinking." Camila cocked her head to the side._

_"What about? If you don't mind sharing that is." Lauren shook her head._

_"Oh, just about you."_

_"Oh? Anything interesting?" Lauren debated with telling Camila, and decided to do it._

_"Just how beautiful you are." She said, letting go of Camila's hand, instead resting it on her girlfriend's waist; pulling the girl closer to her. Lauren leaned up a little bit, pressing her lips against Camila's. The Latina grinned at the compliment as she returned the kiss. Making out on the beach in the moonlight, quite the cliche, Lauren thought to herself._

_"What brought this on?" Camila asked. "Not that I'm complaining." She laughed._

_"Just thinking. After hanging out with our friends tonight, I was just thinking about how I never imagined my life like this. It's great." Camila nodded._

_"I totally understand that. It's been crazy. I got some great friends and a girlfriend that I love." Lauren smiled, knowing that she had actually never said those words to the Latina.She had shown it to her more than once, but maybe, Lauren was finally ready to actually say it._

_"I love you too Camz." Lauren grinned, proud of herself. It may have seemed like a small thing to most couples and most people, but both girls knew that Lauren had a hard time with it. So with the utterance of those words, Camila's eyes widened, a very large smile breaking out on her face as she threw her arms around Lauren. The producer tightly wrapped her arms around Camila's waist, eyes closed as she buried her face into Camila's shoulder._

_"You know, I've known that for such a long time. But actually hearing you say the words out loud is really something else." Camila whispered._

_"It certainly is. If this is what I get every time I do, I'll tell you that every day."_

_

Not the most romantic of moments, but it was a special night for both of them.

"You ready to step back in the booth Camz? We've got another couple of hours before we need to go get ready."

The Latina nodded, untangling herself from the producer.

She headed back to the booth, opening the door and stepping in. She grabbed the headphones from their stand, jamming them back over her head, leaving one ear uncovered. Lauren gave Camila the thumbs up as she hit the playback button on the mixing board.

**Don't know what it's all about  
But every time I look around  
All I see is how we're holdin' on  
Don't ask me what's wrong or right  
I don't even know the time  
All I know is I'm holdin' on ** 

_

After they had finished up at the studio, the two went back to Lauren's apartment to get ready for the night. Lauren had been hired to producer at Insanity that night and consequently, the owners had asked that Camila do a song or two as well. The artist had gained a lot of momentum at that club, so she was more than happy to do so. Not to mention, she got free food and drinks there as well. Another benefit of being friends with the owners. Lauren hopped in the shower first, but not after trying to convince Camila to join her.

"C'mon Camz, we'll save water that way." Camila laughed but shook her head.

"Yeah, but we're not going to save time that way. And consequently probably end up wasting Waterloo. I know that look." Lauren looked offended.

"Are you insinuating that I can't keep my hands to myself?"

Camila shook her head innocently. "Of course not, I'm saying that I can't keep my hands off of you."

Lauren chuckled. "Well, if you put it that way, fine. But we will fix that later." Lauren winked.

Camila laughed, slapping Lauren's ass, pushing her towards the bathroom. "Hurry up or we'll be late."

Lauren scampered off as Camila went to go pick out an outfit. Lauren had been trying to convince her girlfriend to move in with her, since Camila practically lived there anyways. She even had her own section in Lauren's closet and drawers. And the Latina had been sidestepping giving Lauren an answer for weeks. But now she was considering it. She was hardly at her own apartment and what was the point of paying for a space that she didn't even use?

Living together would be a real test of their relationship, but Camila was certain it would be fine. The two almost lived together as it was. The Latina picked an outfit out of Lauren's closet, deciding on a pair of black skinny jeans, along with a white tank top; coupled with a nice pair of heeled boots. Club outfit, but nice enough to perform in as well.

She flopped on the couch, skimming through one of the magazines that Lauren had left on the coffee table. The couple didn't usually pay attention to the tabloids, but once in a while they would pick one up, just to see the outrageous things the paparazzi were saying. This month actually had a story about the couple themselves. The article talked about Camila's run on The Voice along with her speculated relationship during that time, both with Lauren and with Ally. Along with a number of theories about how her and Lauren's current relationship came to be. Although, none of them close to the truth.

Camila heard the water shut off in the bathroom and her girlfriend open the door, letting the steam out.

"Bathroom's all yours m'lady." Lauren jokingly bowed, gesturing to the open door.

Camila giggled before getting up to beeline for the bathroom as Lauren got herself ready for that night.

The couple arrived at the club a couple hours before Lauren was set to spin so they had a little bit of time to themselves. A few people in the club that night asked for autographs and to take pictures with the couple, which they happily obliged.

This was something that many couples in their industry hated, but to Lauren and Camila, it was nice. Being able to show off their relationship. They had been hiding it for so long, that the ability to be a couple out in the open was refreshing. And they took as many opportunities as they could to do so.

And a couple hours later, plus a couple of drinks and the two were ready to get up on stage. Camila took her place on stage as Lauren waited at the side.

"Hey out there LA, how's it hangin!?" There were a few cheers from the crowd.

"I can't hear you!" The people on the dance floor cheered louder.

"One more time, I still can't hear you!" And finally almost everyone on the dance floor cheered for the singer.

"Good, I can finally hear you. So LA, I've got a special guest up here tonight for you. She's someone really special in my life, so be nice to her." There were a few laughs and a huge number of screams, knowing who Camila was talking about.

"I think you already know who she is but I'll introduce her anyway. She have the most beautiful emerald eyes in all of the world." 

Camila paused and encouraged the crowd to cheer for Lauren.

"And she has a wonderful mind and she says great intelligent things and she's always there for me when  you need her..."

"Please give a warm welcome to my girlfriend, Lauren Jauregui!"

Lauren walked out onto the stage, waving her free hand. "You ready for a show LA?"

And she was greeted by screams and a few whistles. As Lauren start up the beat Camila got mesmerized by the way her girlfriend looked tonight.

She can honestly say that she love her life.

_

Lauren and Camila didn't get back to Lauren's apartment until early in the morning at which point, Camila just ended up sleeping with Lauren. It's not like they hadn't shared the bed on many occasion, and not always just for sleeping.

When Camila woke up the next morning to find her girlfriend wrapped around her, using her chest as a pillow, Camila sighed in contentment. She spent a few minutes just watching the green eyed beauty sleep, trailing her fingers up and down the Lauren's bare skin. She felt Lauren shiver a few times, but not wake up. Although a happy looking smile did overcome Lauren's face as she slept. The producer truly seemed vulnerable as she slept, Camila had noticed overtime. Lauren was a self proclaimed bad ass and in some regards that was true. Of course, with Camila and their other friends, the producer was just a ball of fluff. But she always seemed to have this aura of toughness about her. But when she slept, all of that melted away.

As Camila watched her girlfriend, Lauren slowly started to wake up. Camila felt the producer stir and placed a kiss on the top of Lauren's head. The producer's eyes opened to be greeted by her Latina girlfriend lying next to her. Or rather, under her.

"Good morning."

Lauren smiled. "Morning babe. How long have you been awake?" Camila shrugged slightly.

"Not that long. I just like watching you sleep." Lauren laughed a little.

"You know, anyone else telling me that would sound like a creep." Camila snorted.

"Yeah, well. You've been using me as your pillow, there wasn't really anywhere for me to go." She said playfully. Lauren stretched up to place a kiss on the Camila's cheek.

"You love me though. So it's okay." She smirked.

"That's true I suppose. I guess I can forgive you for your hurtful words." Lauren looked at her girlfriend innocently.

"Hey, I said anyone else. Not you, thank you very much." The producer said indignantly.

Camila slapped her forehead. "Of course, Because that make so much of a difference."

Lauren flipped Camila off and the Latina pretended to be offended, gasping at the rude hand gesture.

"Don't even pretend you're offended Cabello. I know better." Camila brushed her off.

"Whatever Laur. I feel like having some coffee, you want some? Random thought, I know." Lauren looked up at her girlfriend.

"What I really want is for you to stay in this bed." Lauren gave Camila a suggestive look. The Latina raised an eyebrow and glanced over at the clock, it was already eleven in the morning, but also a Saturday. It wasn't like they had anything important to do.

"You're on Laur."

Lauren smirked. "Is that a challenge?"

Camila gave Lauren an almost defiant look. "It might be. What of it?"

Lauren tossed the sheet off of the two of them suddenly, throwing a leg over Camila so she was straddling the Latina's hips. She placed her hands on either side of Camila's head.

"You know I never back down from a challenge."

"Is that a challenge?" Camila gave Lauren an almost defiant look.

"It might be. What of it?" Lauren tossed the sheet off of the two of them suddenly, throwing a leg over Camila so she was straddling the Latina's hips. She placed her hands on either side of Camila's head.

"You know I never back down from a challenge." She leaned down to kiss the Latina on the lips.

'Screw morning breath' she figured.


	27. Outtake: A Night Worth Remembering

 

**_"Give me something worth remembering."_ **

_

With Lauren's body hovering over hers, Camila grabbed on to the back of the producer's neck and pulled her girlfriend's face down to hers, kissing her hard. Lauren groaned into the kiss, momentarily being lost in the feeling. Camila took this distraction as her chance to flip the producer onto her back. Lauren squealed in surprise as Camila climbed onto her girlfriend, her black and pink track shorts riding up her thighs a little bit.

Camila's hands went to Lauren's belt, unbuckling the strip of leather. She looked down at her girlfriend who's eyes were darkening as she bit her lip.

"Are you sure about this Lauren?" Camila gave her girlfriend one last chance to back out. Because if they continued, the singer wouldn't be able to stop.

The producer furiously nodded. "I will murder you if you stop Cabello."

Camila giggled a little bit, but nodded, finishing her undoing of the belt buckle. She pulled Lauren's jeans slowly down her legs, revealing more and more of Lauren's pale skin. Camila was sure her pupils were dilated beyond belief as she stared at the tiny body that lie on the bed beneath her. This was the first time she had seen this much skin of her girlfriend.

And man did Camila stare.

"You're absolutely gorgeous Lauren." She murmured, lost in her appreciation of the producer's almost nude form. She was by no means the fittest human being in the world, but being a performer did have its benefits. Lauren, on the other hand, blushed a deep shade of pink. She wasn't used to having compliments thrown at her, but having the singer sitting on top of her, staring at her like she was a Victoria's Secret model was flattering.

Camila reached out to run her hand over Lauren's stomach and abs. Lauren's skin erupted in goosebumps as the singer's hand glided over her body. Lauren moaned slightly, which was like music to Camila's ears. Lauren's hands reached out to rest on Camila's hip before moving lower to pull of the track shorts. The singer lifted her body off her girlfriend slightly so Lauren could pull the shorts off of her. Camila helped Lauren remove the shorts and went back to sitting on her girlfriend's body.

"Camz..." Lauren whispered, almost whimpered.

The singer snapped out of her near trance. She bit her lip before leaning down to put her lips against Lauren's. The heated kiss was certainly something else. The couple had their fair share of makeouts, but this was different. This was much more erotic, the two knew they were about to take a huge step in their relationship, but they were both beyond ready.

Lauren took this opportunity to run her hands up Camila's sides before she focused on removing the singer's bra from her body. Lauren easily unclasped the offending article of clothing before tossing it somewhere, without a care where it landed.

Camila's breathed deeply as the cool air ran across her now nude upper body. And then she let out a gasp, breaking the lip lock the two were engaged in, as Lauren's hands wandered down the front of Camila's body, The producer's hands cupped the singer's breasts, softly groping her girlfriend's body. Camila's eyes shut and the singer let out a moan as Lauren continued to play with her.

Lauren lifted her back off the bed to attach her mouth to one of Camila's nipples, causing the singer to let but a very loud moan. It was a good thing Lauren had the penthouse apartment and didn't have neighbors. Despite the hazy mind Camila had already, she managed to reach back and unclip Lauren's bra. The producer shrugged off her bra before tossing it on the ground to join Camila's.

Lauren looked up at Camila who was still straddling the her lap. She could tell that Camila was lost in a haze of sexual energy and arousal. And Lauren wasn't too far behind her. Just looking at her girlfriend's nearly naked body turned her on beyond belief. But that wasn't enough for Lauren. She went and hooked her fingers around Camila's underwear, starting to pull the fabric off her girlfriend.

Camila obliged and lifted her ass off of Lauren's lap for a second, allowing Lauren to pull Camila's underwear down her legs. Camila got off the producer and lay on the bed next to her, pulling the article of clothing down the expanse of her legs, kicking it to the floor. Lauren leaned down, bringing her lips back to meet the singer's.

Lauren rest most of her body weight on one elbow and let her free hand wander the expanse of Camila's now fully naked body. She marveled in the softness of Camila's bare skin. The singer shivered as Lauren's hand roamed her body. This was something Camila was no stranger to, but it was special with Lauren.

Lauren was truly someone she love. And that made all the difference. Camila's stomach was in knots as Lauren's hand moved lower, resting on the inside of her thigh, very close to her center. Camila could only handle so much of her girlfriend's teasing though, so before long she grabbed Lauren's hand and guided it towards her. Lauren obviously got the hint. She broke the kiss before attaching her mouth to Camila's neck, sucking on a pulse point. Camila gasped as Lauren's finger ran up and down her slit.

"Wow Camz, you're soaking." The singer was in such a fog she could only moan in response.

As Lauren felt the singer's wetness, she couldn't help but feel a little smug. She had done that to her girlfriend. Lauren was by no means an unskilled lover, but this was something else. Lauren teased her girlfriend a little longer before putting a finger into her. Camila's back arched off the bed at the sudden intrusion, a groan being emitted along with it. Lauren's fingers pumped in and out of the singer. Camila's eyes were tightly shut, her hands grabbing onto the sheets she was lying on, toes curled.

Lauren's tongue ran ran down Camila's chest, before settling on her girlfriend's breast, her lips attached to her nipple. The singer's back arched off the bed again, pushing her body into her girlfriend. Balancing her body weight on her elbow still, Lauren managed to grab hold of one of her girlfriend's hands, intertwining their fingers.

Camila grabbed onto Lauren's hand, squeezing it tightly.

Lauren added another finger into her ministrations, pushing her index and middle finger into her girlfriend's body. Camila let out another moan.

"Lo.." She managed to gasp out. "I.." Camila tried before she lost the ability to speak again as Lauren curled her fingers inside her girlfriend's wet center.

Camila's hips bucked up to meet the producer's fingers. It seemed the years of playing with soundboards really paid off. Lauren continued to suck on her girlfriend's nipple as she ran her thumb over the singer's clit. As she rubbed the sensitive ball of nerves, that was the final straw for Camila.

The singer squealed a little as her inner walls closed in on Lauren's fingers, bringing Camila over the edge.

Lauren felt her girlfriend falling, so she slowed her movements, although she kept her fingers buried inside the singer's body. As Camila came down from her high, her body relaxed back onto the bed, taking in deep breaths of air. Lauren slowly removed her fingers from Camila's slit before bringing them to her mouth, licking her girlfriend's juices off of them.

Lauren had never really been into oral before, preferring to use her hands. But from the tangy yet sweet flavor of her girlfriend, she knew she needed to go down on the singer at some point. But before she had the chance to pursue that line of thinking, Camila surprisingly managed to pull her girlfriend's body on top of hers. With Lauren hovering over her, Camila wrapped her arms around the producer's neck, pulling her down, smashing their lips together.

"God, I love you." Camila mumbled. "You are amazing." Lauren again, couldn't help but feel a little smug. She smirked a little bit, feeling proud of herself. Camila laughed a little bit as she felt Lauren smirk as the couple kissed.

"Proud of yourself are you?"

Lauren pulled back and nodded slightly.

"Compliments like that from your girlfriend are always nice." She said simply. Camila got a mischievous look in her eye, which Lauren noticed.

"Camz.. What are you.." She started,but never finished Because Camila flipped her on her back, topping the producer again.

"And I intend to pay you back in full." Camila said seductively, running a single finger down Lauren's middle, from the top of her breasts to the top of her underwear. She ran a finger along the piece of fabric.

"Although, these need to come off. You've been wearing them for far too long." Lauren's eyes darkened as she lifted her hips off the bed, allowing Camila to pull the producer's underwear from her body.

Camila sat back a little, drinking in Lauren in all her naked glory. She is truly beautiful in Camila's eyes. The feeling of skin against bare skin was already turning Camila on again. But this time, she'd be the one to pleasure her girlfriend. The singer leaned in to place a kiss on Lauren's forehead before moving downwards, kissing her girlfriend on the way down. A kiss on the lips, the neck, in the middle of her breasts.

The singer looked up seductively at her girlfriend before running her tongue down the producer's stomach, leaving a wet trail down the middle. Lauren gasped, gripping Camila's shoulders.

Before she knew it, Lauren felt Camila's warm breath up against her own dripping wet core. The anticipation was killing Lauren, but the singer continued to tease her, kissing the inside of her thighs.

"Camz, stop teasing.." Lauren groaned. Camila giggled at the brunette's frustration with her.

"Patience is a virtue Lauren." Lauren hissed as Camila ran a finger from her clit, down her center.

"Screw patience Cabello." Camila laughed but took pity on her girlfriend, attaching her mouth to Lauren.

The producer let out a moan of pleasure as she felt Camila's tongue run up and down her slit. Gripping at the sheets, Lauren's body tensed as her girlfriend pleasured her. Camila placed a hand on Lauren's leg, pushing it back, opening the producer's legs further.

As Lauren hissed in pleasure, Camila wrapped her arm around Lauren's other leg, pulling back the hood on Lauren's clit, running her tongue over the tiny nub. The producer let out a tiny squeal of pleasure as Camila sucked on her clit. Lauren was close to falling over the edge but wasn't quite there yet.

"Give me more Camz." Lauren begged her girlfriend. And Camila, being merciful complied, pushing two fingers into Lauren's body. As she pulled her fingers out, Lauren groaned before Camila pushed them back in. She pushed into her girlfriend a few times before curling her fingers, looking for a certain spot inside her girlfriend.

When Lauren let out a little scream, she knew she had found it. She rubbed her fingers against that spot as she continued to suck on Lauren's little ball of nerves. And before long, Lauren lost it. Her back arched off the bed, hips bucking violently.

Camila hooking her arms around Lauren's legs, pinning the producer's hips to the bed, allowing her to lap up the juices pouring out of her girlfriend. Camila, like Lauren, had her share of experience with women, but Lauren's taste was so uniquely Lauren that she felt like she could do this every day and never get tired of it.

As Lauren came down from her high, Camila slid up next to her girlfriend, pressing her lips up against the producer's. Lauren tasted herself on Camila's lips and that mixed with the natural taste of Camila's lips wasn't as unpleasant as Lauren had expected.

In fact, she rather liked it. Lauren snuggled into Camila's side, throwing a leg across Camila, leaning her head against Camila's shoulder.

"You're amazing, you know that right?" Camila nodded slightly.

"Of course I do." Lauren smiled before placing a kiss behind Camila's ear. The singer shivered.

"This worth remembering?" Camila grinned, knowing the answer.

Lauren laughed. "I don't know. Maybe we should make sure I won't forget." Lauren said cheekily.

Camila chuckled, but pushed her body up off the bed to straddle her girlfriend. She placed her hands on either side of Lauren's head.

"You're on Jauregui."


	28. Epilogue #2: Three Years Later

"You ready for this Camz?" Lauren asked her girlfriend as the waited backstage. The latina turned to the producer and nodded.

"As ready as I'll ever be." Lauren smiled.

"Hey, you've performed bigger shows than this before," She said, placing a hand on Camila's forearm.

The singer rested a hand on top of Lauren's.

"I know. I just... This is Harry's closing show on his tour. I don't want to fuck it up." Lauren laughed.

"I know you don't, but just imagine the headlines if you do. Grammy Award winning artist, Camila Cabello, flubs performance at world-famous performer, Harry Styles's closing concert. Publicity for months." Camila buried her face in her hands.

"You're so not helping Lolo!" The producer pulled Camila's hand away from her face.

"Hey, babe. I'm sorry. Just trying to lighten the mood. Please, don't worry. You'll be fine. It's been three years since you first started all of this. I believe in you."

Camila looked at the producer, enveloping her girlfriend in a tight hug. "Thanks, Lo. I don't know if I could do this job without you." She whispered in the producer's ear.

Lauren smiled. "I'm sure you could babe. You are amazing, you don't need me to help you with that."

Camila chuckled. But she was forced to break her hug and be ushered into place before she had the chance to respond. She stood on the stage lift, waiting to be pulled up. Lauren shot Camila her signature thumbs up.

Camila heard Harry up on stage, introducing her. "We're finally at the conclusion of this year's world tour! And what kind of performer would I be if I didn't have someone truly special in store for you guys." The audience was cheering in anticipation.

Camila Cabello's appearance was kept a secret, so no one knew who the surprise performance was going to be.

"I've had the pleasure of knowing this artist for a few years now, and being able to see her career grow into becoming a Grammy Award-winning artist. She's put in a lot of hard work to shoot to the top of the charts. And I'm incredibly lucky to call her my friend." The audience cheering in anticipation.

"Performing her summer hit Best Day Of My Life, Camila Cabello!" The audience went wild at the mention of the singer.

Over the last three years, Camila had certainly made a name for herself. After the release of her single, people were clamouring for her to release an album, which she eventually did, with Lauren's help of course.

And within a year she was topping the Billboard charts and getting nominated for Grammys. And with the release of her first album, she had won the Grammy for Best New Artist and Album of the Year, along with Lauren winning Producer of the Year, Non-Classical.

That had been a big year for the couple in regards to their music. And also their personal life. Shortly after she had released her first single, she had taken the plunge and moved in with Lauren. The couple had their fair share of arguments towards the beginning though it was usually about little things about Lauren picking her shirts up off the floor or Camila leaving dirty dishes in the sink. But the pair was so in love with each other that these little things never seemed to last longer than ten minutes. And now three years later they couldn't have been happier.

As Harry had announced Camila's name, Lauren gave her a wide grin before the latina was brought up from under the stage. The bright lights flashed around her as one of the spotlights targeted her. She waved with a smile to the audience who were screaming at the appearance of the singer. The beginning beats to her song started and as the song started, she could hear people singing along.

**I had a dream so big and loud  
I jumped so high I touched the clouds  
Wo-o-o-o-o-oh  
I stretched my hands out to the sky  
We danced with monsters through the night  
Wo-o-o-o-o-oh**

This was really a moment where Camila was thinking that she had finally made it. Performing with Harry Styles, and the entire crowd knew the lyrics to her song. She walked down the stage towards Harry who was beaming at her friend. The two had inevitably grown closer over the years, one with Harry being Lauren's best friend.

**I'm never gonna look back  
Whoa, I'm never gonna give it up  
No, please don't wake me now  
(2, 3, 4)  
Oo-o-o-o-oo  
This is gonna be the best day of my life  
My li-i-i-ife  
Oo-o-o-o-oo  
This is gonna be the best day of my life  
My li-i-i-ife**

This was, of course, not the first time Camila had performed on tour, going on a few of her own over the years, but Harry's performance career still blew hers out of the water. The guy had been at it much longer. The latina was trying her hardest to sing her heart out, which, judging from the crowd, was working out quite well. Against the bright stage lights, she could see people out in the crowd arms flailing, dancing with the friends, singing the song.

**I howled at the moon with friends  
And then the sun came crashing in  
Wo-o-o-o-o-oh  
But all the possibilities  
No limits just epiphanies  
Wo-o-o-o-o-oh**

The two performers had planned this as a duet, so Harry took the lead on the second verse and chorus with Camila adding harmonization. Remembering back to when she and Harry worked on the skill during the show brought a smile to her face. It was memories like that that Camila would treasure forever. The show had brought so much change to her life, none of which she would trade for anything. Because of it, she was here, living her dream, with an amazing girlfriend to boot. Nothing would ever top that for her.

**I'm never gonna look back  
Whoa, I'm never gonna give it up  
No, just don't wake me now  
  
**

As the latina watched Harry sing, she laughed and danced along to her friend's vocals. Even after three years, Camila hadn't lost her flair for performing live. She was still as strong as ever, probably even better with experience. Harry and Camila had walked to the edge of the stage, occasionally reaching down to touch some of the outstretched hands of the group. Camila had always loved interacting with her fans. It was one of her favorite parts of her job, not that she hated any of it. But her fans, like any artist, felt special to her. They were the ones who had propelled her to where she was. The ones that got her through The Voice. To Camila, they felt like a very large, excitable, extended family.

**Oo-o-o-o-oo  
This is gonna be the best day of my life  
My li-i-i-ife  
Oo-o-o-o-oo  
This is gonna be the best day of my life  
My li-i-i-ife**

The two singers shared the chorus, each taking different lines. Harry looked over at her friend, who was preoccupied with pumping the crowd up. He smiled a little bit at the latina. She had no idea what was in store for her that night. Harry was proud to be able to witness what was going to happen later on. But for now, he had to concentrate on finishing the set.

**I hear it calling outside my window  
I feel it in my soul (soul)  
The stars were burning so bright  
The sun was out 'til midnight  
I say we lose control (control)  
  
Oo-o-o-o-o  
  
This is gonna be the best day of my life  
My li-i-i-ife  
Oo-o-o-o-o  
This is gonna be the best day of my life  
My li-i-i-ife  
This is gonna be, this is gonna be, this is gotta be  
The best day of my life  
Everything is looking up, everybody up now  
This is gonna be the best day of my life  
My li-i-i-ife**

As the duo finished the final chorus, the crowd cheered and screamed for the two performers. Harry and Camila met in the middle of the stage. The guy pulled her friend in for a tight hug before addressing the audience.

"Give it up for Camila Cabello everyone!" The onlookers cheered, the roaring of the crowd filling Camila's ears. She smiled and waved at everyone. Harry looked over to the side of the stage where Lauren was waiting. He gave Lauren a look and the producer nodded, patting the pocket in her jacket.

"And I have one more surprise for everyone."

Camila raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected Harry to tell her everything, but even she didn't know what was about to happen.

"Well, this is probably more a surprise for Camila, but you all get to watch." Camila narrowed her eyes at her friend. Harry tactfully ignored her, though he didn't miss the look.

"Well, I won't take up any more of her time, ladies and gentlemen, my best friend, Lauren Jauregui!"

Camila whirled around to see Lauren approaching her with a smile, albeit nervous look on her face. The crowd was in hysterics to see the couple on stage. A few of the onlookers were guessing what was about to happen, so they all pulled out their phones to record the moment.

Camila asked her girlfriend, "Lolo, what is all of this?" Lauren, in reply, held out her hand for Camila to take, which the latina did. Then Lauren spoke into her microphone.

"Camila. I'm guessing you're wondering what all of this is about, right?" The latina nodded.

"Well..." Lauren sighed. "I'm really not good at this, you know that. But I'm going to try my best. Camila, three years ago when I met you on The Voice, I knew even then that you were something special. And though we didn't get together until after the show was over," A small lie, but necessary. "I always knew I wanted you in my life, be it as a friend, co-worker, or something more. I'm just incredibly lucky you wanted something more."

Camila's breathing stopped. She had a guess of where this was going and it was taking all of her to not burst into tears. The audience was dead silent as Lauren spoke.

"You are and will always be the love of my life, that's never going to change. You're my best friend, my partner, even my best artist." The couple both chuckled.

"I don't want to go another minute without giving you the one thing that I've wanted to for a very long time now." Lauren let go of Camila's hand, to pull a small box out of her pocket before getting down on one knee. Camila now knew what this was about and she covered her mouth with both of her hands, tears starting to stream down her face. There was a number of cheers and whistles from the audience.

Lauren opened the box to reveal a beautiful diamond ring, set into a silver band. "Camz, you know how bad I am with feelings and words and you've still put up with me for the last three years. You make me want to be a better person. I couldn't imagine my life without you. So will you make me the happiest producer in the world? Will you marry me?"

By now, Camila was close to hyperventilating. The crowd around her seemed to melt away though all of them were screaming at the top of their lungs at what they had just witnessed. It was only her and Lauren at this moment. The latina dropped to her knees in front of Lauren. She pulled Lauren's face towards her and gave her a searing kiss that the entire crowd went wild for.

The couple pulled back, Lauren with a goofy looking grin on her face.

"ls that a yes?" She asked her girlfriend. Camila laughed through her tears.

"Oh my god, yes! Lauren, I would love to marry you!" Lauren grinned as she took the ring out of the box and slid it onto Camila's ring finger. Putting the box back in her pocket, she threw her arms around her now fiance. The two laughed happily before standing up and looking out to the crowd.

The entire stadium was cheering, whistling, screaming and all other manner of congratulatory sounds.

Harry walked over them with Ally. The older woman ran into Camila's arms when they noticed them.

"Congratulations Mila. I'm so happy for you." She whispered into Camila's ear. Camila sniffed her tears back though a few tears still found their way down her cheek. As the two hugged, Harry stood over by Lauren.

"You did good Laur" He said as they watched Camila and Ally in their embrace. Lauren looked up at her friend.

"Thanks, and thank you for letting me do this. I couldn't have done this without you." Harry brushed it off.

"No, thank you Lauren. For including me, allowing me to witness this." Camila and Ally finally broke their hug before going over to Lauren and Harry. Lauren wrapped an arm around Camila's waist before Harry addressed the crowd.

"You heard it here first guys! My best friend Lauren Jauregui finally had the guts to propose. And guess what? She said yes! Let me be the first to congratulate the couple. Lauren, Camila, I'm so happy for you two." The pair smiled back, though Lauren, being Lauren had to say something in response.

"Thanks, Haz, but hey. Your turn better be coming up soon." Harry blushed a little bit as the audience laughed. Camila giggled at Harry's shyness over the entire thing. Maybe there would be another proposal at some point.

With Harry finishing his concert with Ally, though, nothing could really compare to what just occurred, Camila and Lauren went backstage to wait for their friends.

The minute they got off stage, Camila slapped Lauren, very hard, on the shoulder.

"Ouch! Jesus Camila! You still haven't lost the abusiveness, have you?"

"Lauren Jauregui! You turned me into a blubbering mess in front of thousands of people!" Lauren shrugged.

"Can you say that you didn't love it, though?"

Camila opened her mouth but then shut it.

"That's what I thought. Look Camz, I wouldn't have done that if I had even the slightest notion you wouldn't like it. We've even talked about our proposal dreams, that was one of yours. For someone to ask you at a concert, in front of your fans." Camila laid her head on Lauren's shoulder.

"I know I did. And I'm not mad. At all. It was perfect. I just, it was a surprise." Lauren laughed.

"Aren't proposals supposed to be?" Camila snuggled closer to her fiancee, kissing her neck.

"Yes, I guess they are. Though when we get back home, I'm planning on getting you back. If you catch my meaning." Lauren's pupils dilated slightly at the thought.

"I'm looking forward to it," Lauren whispered. "But remember, we're going out with Harry and Ally tonight too." Camila nodded.

"Of course. I don't think I'd want to spend my night with anyone else. Besides you of course.

"Good. You are marrying me after all." Camila laughed.

"I love you Lauren," Camila said quietly.

Lauren had an arm around Camila's shoulder, so she pulled the latina closer to her.

"I love you too Camz."

_

_The Celebrity Proposal of the Year  
By: John Nash_

_Last night was a big night for the music industry. Singer and performer, Harry Styles had her closing concert in LA last night. The singer brought in both Camila Cabello and Ally Hernandez as guest performers, but that's not the big deal._

_No, the big deal is when producer, singer and producer Lauren Jauregui graced the stage and proposed to her girlfriend of three years, Camila Cabello. Of course, the singer said yes. She'd have to be crazy not to. For those of you that don't know, Jauregui and Cabello met when Cabello got onto The Voice._

_Jauregui stole the artist from her original coach, Harry Styles, who is now one of the couple's closest friends. But the couple hit it off and not long after the show ended, the two were in a committed relationship. There has been some speculation that the relationship began before the show ended, but no evidence has been found to support that rumor._

_But for those of you who weren't lucky enough to be present at the concert last night, which let's be honest, was most of us, watch the whole proposal below._

_Please, share your thoughts on the Cabello/Jauregui engagement. Personally, here at Billboard, we wish the couple a happy and successful future._

_

Camila shut the lid of her laptop before getting up from the couch, joining Lauren in the kitchen. The brunette was sitting on a stool by the counter, lazily drinking a cup of coffee. Camila approached her fiance from behind and wrapped her arms around Lauren's waist.

"Not that I'm surprised, but Billboard already published an article about the proposal. I'd be prepared for a whole lot of congratulatory texts, emails and calls today."

Lauren leaned back into Camila's arms, resting against the latina's chest.

"It's worth it. I'd rather deal with all of that, than not have proposed to you in the first place."

Camila smiled to herself, placing a kiss on the top of Lauren's head.

"Well, I'd hope so," She said before Lauren's cell phone buzzed on the counter. The brunette groaned before reaching for it. She opened the text to read it.

"Normani wanted to congratulate us, babe. Said she's happy for us and that she's expecting an invitation to the wedding." Camila laughed.

"Of course we're inviting her."

This time Camila's phone went off. She opened up her phone to read the message.

"Dinah said congratulations too and she wanted to kill you after she got back from Paris because she didn't witness the proposal." Camila said to Lauren who had a look of panic in her face.

"Don't worry about her, you know that she's just messin' with you and also she expects an invitation too."

"Well, of course she gets an invite you're her bestfriend." 

Both of their phones buzzed this time. The couple sighed.

"It's going to be a long day," Lauren said. Camila squeezed Lauren's waist, pulled her in closer.

"Yeah, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

 

-END-

 


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